Bullet strikes ambulance while on way to call in Minneapolis

Paramedics with Hennepin Emergency Medical Services en route to a call had to summon help for themselves after a bullet came through the windshield of their ambulance.

One paramedic was hit by shards of glass when the bullet passed through the windshield and into the ambulance about 1:39 a.m. Monday in the area of Hennepin Avenue S. and the Lyndale/Groveland avenues area in Minneapolis, officials said.

The paramedic, whose name has not been released, was treated at Hennepin County Medical Center and has returned to full-duty status, officials said.

There were no patients on board and no other injuries were reported, Hennepin EMS officials said in a statement.

The ambulance was heading to a call without its lights or siren on when paramedics said they heard what sounded like several gunshots in the area not far from the Walker Art Center, officials said. A Minneapolis police report said the paramedics reported that their vehicle had been shot at.

One of the bullets struck the ambulance's windshield and continued into the interior.

The Minneapolis Police Department is investigating the incident. No arrests have been made, said Sgt. Catherine Michal.

"While this act is certainly deplorable, the preliminary investigation indicates that our staff and the ambulance were not the intended target," the Hennepin EMS statement continued.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768