Law enforcement had to evacuate thousands of people Saturday night from St. Paul’s historic Union Depot during a Muslim halal market after fights broke out and reports of shots fired emerged.
The Bundle Halal Fall Market on Halloween was billed as a family-friendly 8-hour market featuring food, fashion, gifts, and more from 105 Muslim vendors. It was scheduled to run from 3-11 p.m. with a ticket entry price of $20.
The situation took a turn around 9 p.m. when fights reportedly broke out. Crowds were seen streaming hurriedly from the venue, and police with long guns were seen entering the building, according to video clips submitted to Crime Watch Minneapolis.
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Sheriff Bob Fletcher is live in St. Paul talking about the incident. https://t.co/TZqwmqGrgr— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) November 1, 2026
Initial reports indicated that shots had possibly been fired, but police later said that no evidence of gunfire was found.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher later addressed the situation on his “Live on Patrol” YouTube broadcast and mentioned that they had been tracking “gangsters” on social media to see where they might show up. Another deputy was heard telling Fletcher during the broadcast that members of about four Somali gangs had been spotted at the event. The deputy said there had been attempts to remove the gang members, but they kept returning.
In another video clip submitted to Crime Watch, one event-goer claimed that security was lacking at the event, indicating there were no checks of persons entering the event except for wristbands to make sure people had paid to enter.
Somali gang violence has been in the headlines since mid-summer after Sheriff Fletcher broke the years-long law enforcement silence on naming the problem following several violent incidents this summer and called the situation “out of control.” Fletcher released a document at the time to Alpha News detailing over a dozen murders, nearly 100 shootings, and the names of several alleged Somali gang members. Fletcher said roughly 300 individuals comprise about a dozen gangs across Minneapolis and the Twin Cities.
Police said in a media statement that no arrests had been made in connection to the market melee.
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Minneapolis/Twin Cities Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
