A 34-year-old man visiting the Twin Cities for a wedding celebration was one of four people hit by gunfire near the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis over the weekend, say family and friends, who described him as an innocent bystander.
Tyler King, of Nashville, was hit in the face by gunfire that also sent three other people to the hospital late Saturday, according to the family and an online fundraising effort started by his friends on behalf of his wife and children to cover expenses related to the shooting.
The posting said King was hospitalized after suffering a stroke and bleeding on the brain. Another webpage started by those close to King said he's had surgery to relieve swelling on the brain. A spokesman for HCMC said Tuesday morning that King was in critical condition.
Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting, which occurred about 11 p.m. across the Mississippi River from downtown near Main Street and SE. 6th Avenue. Police said a fight within a large group preceded the gunfire.
An 18-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl also were shot and suffered wounds that police said were not life-threatening. Police are declining to identify them or say anything more about what role, if any, they had in the fight.
Garrett Parten, a police spokesman, said Sunday that officers arrived to "a chaotic scene. While working to locate and secure a possible scene ... Multiple fights broke out from within the large crowd. Officers worked together to secure the scene and establish crowd control."
In a follow-up Tuesday afternoon, Parten said, "At this point there is nothing additional MPD has to add" about the investigation's findings so far.
Parten said that initial findings indicate "that a crowd of people and vehicles was gathered near the intersection when gunfire erupted. This gathering was not a scheduled or official event."
