Gunfight between vehicles ends with crash that kills woman on scooter in downtown Minneapolis

A rolling gun battle between occupants in two vehicles ended with a crash in downtown Minneapolis Wednesday night that left an innocent bystander dead.

A woman riding a scooter on a sidewalk was killed when she was struck by one of the vehicles that crashed outside a hotel just a block from Target Field, police said.

Her death is being considered a homicide, said Minneapolis police spokesman Garrett Parten.

A Star Tribune database shows it is the 76th homicide this year.

Events unfolded shortly after 11 p.m. when officers received several calls about occupants inside two vehicles shooting at each other near the intersection of 18th Street and Nicollet Avenue S. Preliminary information gained by officers indicates the gunfire erupted following an altercation between occupants of the vehicles, police said.

A few minutes later, two vehicles matching the description of those involved in the shooting on Nicollet sped through downtown Minneapolis with the men inside still shooting at each other until they crashed near the intersection of N. 5th Street and 6th Avenue, police said.

A scooter was still lying at the crash scene Thursday morning.

Evidence of gunfire was in the roadway extending two blocks from the scene of the crash where one of the vehicles left the road after impact and struck the woman riding a scooter, Parten said.

"She was an innocent bystander of what appears to be a violent exchange between cars," Parten said. "It is upsetting to see this kind of violence result in this kind of death."

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Multiple men were transported to a hospital with serious injuries believed to have resulted from the crash, Parten said. Officers recovered guns from both vehicles and the scene, he said.

No arrests have been made and charges for the involved parties are yet to be determined, Parten said.

Minneapolis police are investigating.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768