Woman killed, 5 men hurt in mass shooting at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park, police say
A woman is dead and five men are hurt after a shooting late Sunday night amid a large gathering at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
In a press conference held early Monday morning at the park, Police Chief Brian O'Hara said reports of gunfire first came in at about 9:30 p.m., with his officers and Minneapolis Park Police officers arriving to find a "very chaotic scene" involving at least 100 people.
Three men were found suffering from gunshot wounds in the park, while an injured woman was found in a vehicle near the park's entrance at 11th Avenue Northeast and Sibley Street Northeast. O'Hara said she later died at Hennepin Healthcare.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has identified the woman as 23-year-old Stageina Katraya Shapryia Whiting of Brooklyn Center.
Two more men later arrived at an area hospital. Of the five survivors, O'Hara says one suffered apparent life-threatening injuries while the rest suffered non-life threatening injuries.
A woman was also believed to have been knocked unconscious in the melee that followed the shooting. Her condition is unknown.
O'Hara says they believe there was more than one shooter involved, and no arrests have been made. He says investigators are looking into what led up to the gunfire.
"There are literally hundreds of pieces of evidence that they are going through and our investigators are following up on several leads at this time," O'Hara said. "This is outrageous. It's more akin to a war zone, the amount of shell casings that the officers are recovering here than something you would find in a park. It's just, it's sickening."
Later, police also responded to a crowd that gathered outside Hennepin Healthcare where some of the victims were taken.
O'Hara says there was another "incident" at the park on Friday night involving "juveniles," but he didn't elaborate on what occurred, only noting that he doesn't believe it was connected to Sunday's shooting.
"Even without this incident, obviously we're concerned going into the summer, where there historically is a spike in violence," O'Hara said.
, 37 units responded to the park shooting. Law enforcement also converged at Hennepin Healthcare, as dozens gathered outside while some of the victims received treatment.
About 24 hours before the mass shooting, a park police officer was kicked in the face while confronting a couple at East Cedar Lake Beach after it closed for the night. Police say a man was arrested for the assault, as was a woman for "obstruction."
On Friday night, shots were fired outside of 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus, injuring two men ages 49 and 19. No arrests have been made in the shooting, which occurred after a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony.
O'Hara says police will start a large-scale operation, partnering with state, county and federal law enforcement to help combat the increase in crime.
Minneapolis City Councilmember Mike Rainville says he wants the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board to close the Boom Island gates at 8 p.m.
Anyone with information on Friday's and Sunday's shooting can , or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
