Girl, 15, dies from wounds sustained during north Minneapolis shootout

She was dropped at North Memorial Health.

May 15, 2023 at 10:59PM
Marleisha Davenport (With permission from GoFundMe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A 15-year-old girl died at the hospital Saturday night, shortly after being critically wounded in a shootout on Minneapolis' North Side.

Officers responded to North Memorial Health around 10 p.m. Saturday on a report of a shooting involving a juvenile. A private vehicle reportedly dropped off the victim down the block from the ER ambulance bay, where first responders rushed out to her aid.

She died 42 minutes later.

The child was identified Monday evening as Marleisha Victory Davenport of South St. Paul. Her cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the back, according to the medical examiner report.

Police incident reports obtained by the Star Tribune indicate a flurry of gunfire in the minutes before Davenport was taken to the hospital. At approximately 9:55 p.m., someone called 911 to report hearing 20 rounds fired on the 1000 block of Morgan Avenue N. Dispatchers also logged a possible drive-by involving an automatic weapon a few blocks away.

This marks at least the 20th homicide of the year in Minneapolis. There were 35 homicides at this time in 2022, according to a Star Tribune database.

Police declined to answer questions about the case — or confirm that a child had been killed — until issuing a news release more than 40 hours after her death.

There have been no arrests in the case.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips may be submitted electronically at CrimeStoppersMN.org. All tips are anonymous and persons providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.

A teenage boy was also hospitalized with injuries that weren't life-threatening after being shot on the 2700 Block of Oliver Avenue N. on Sunday afternoon.

Staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this report.

about the writer

about the writer

Liz Sawyer

Reporter

Liz Sawyer  covers Minneapolis crime and policing at the Star Tribune. Since joining the newspaper in 2014, she has reported extensively on Minnesota law enforcement, state prisons and the youth justice system. 

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