One man shot dead, another wounded while in car on edge of downtown Minneapolis

Car flees after a driver is killed, passenger is critically injured while Twins game is played blocks away.

April 1, 2019 at 3:35PM
Members of the crime lab collected evidence from around the car where one man was shot to death and another wounded on 7th St. N heading into downtown Sunday in Minneapolis.
Members of the crime lab collected evidence from around the car where one man was shot to death and another wounded on 7th St. N heading into downtown Sunday in Minneapolis. (Mike Nelson — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

One man was shot to death and another wounded as they drove along a well-traveled street on the edge of downtown Minneapolis early Sunday afternoon, several blocks from Target Field where a Twins game was underway.

Traffic in both directions of 7th Street remained blocked for several hours after the shooting.

Gunfire erupted about 2:10 p.m. on 7th Street at Lyndale Avenue N., heading into downtown, and one or more suspects drove away from the scene, said police spokesman John Elder.

The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, Elder said. The passenger was taken to a hospital and was in critical condition Sunday evening. Family members told Fox 9 that the man who died was Denzyl Percell Bacon Jackson, 21.,

A few dozen people gathered at the scene and remained near the 7th Street overpass above Interstate 94 for hours, within view of the car and its shot-out windows.

On the ground, surrounded by glass shards, a pair of shoes and a few pieces of crumpled clothing could be seen. Before police blocked off East Lyndale Avenue N., a man drove up, pulled over, saw the shoes — likely from one of the victims — and started screaming. He got back behind the wheel and sped off.

One of the victims was also livestreaming moments before the gunfire. About two minutes into that video, which has since been deleted, the pop-pop-pop of gunfire is heard, and the screen goes black. Moments later, someone is heard saying: "I'm hit, bro. Call the police."

A minute-long video of the moments after the shooting show a man lying facedown on the pavement near the driver's side of the car. An officer leans over him, asking "Are you OK?"

The camera pans to show the shot-out windows and bullet holes on the passenger side. Inside, a man is slumped sideways. The video, posted to Facebook, shows the man on the ground and captures someone saying that one of the men is still breathing.

"Breathe, brother, breathe," someone says as an officer again leans over the man on the ground.

The car that fled the scene was described as a burgundy Dodge.

Staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.

Gunfire killed one person and wounded another Sunday afternoon on the edge of downtown Minneapolis.
Gunfire killed one person and wounded another Sunday afternoon on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
This car took gunfire Sunday afternoon on the edge of downtown Minneapolis.
This car took gunfire Sunday afternoon on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Police vehicles swarmed the scene where a car, with a yellow tarp, was hit with gunfire Sunday afternoon on the edge of downtown Minneapolis.
Police vehicles swarmed the scene where a car, with a yellow tarp, was hit with gunfire Sunday afternoon on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Members of the crime lab collected evidence from around the car where one man was shot to death and another wounded on 7th St. N heading into downtown Sunday March 31, 2019 in Minneapolis, MN.] Jerry Holt • Jerry.holt@startribune.com
Members of the crime lab collected evidence from around the car where one man was shot to death and another wounded on 7th St. N heading into downtown Sunday March 31, 2019 in Minneapolis, MN.] Jerry Holt • Jerry.holt@startribune.com (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Mara Klecker

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Mara Klecker covers suburban K-12 education for the Star Tribune.

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