Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide at a homeless encampment in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood after gunfire fatally wounded a resident there early Thursday morning.
Shooting leaves one dead at Cedar-Riverside homeless encampment
It's the second homicide in a 10-hour span in Minneapolis.
January 12, 2023 at 11:54PM
Officers responded to the Samatar Crossing encampment at S. 6th Street and 15th Avenue, around 6:30 a.m., where they located a man lying unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds. He later died at HCMC.
It's not immediately clear what precipitated the shooting or how many people were involved. The victim has yet to be identified.
A short distance from U.S. Bank Stadium, Samatar Crossing is one of more than two dozen encampments that the city tracks, and one of four in the Sixth Ward. It popped up during the State Fair, grew to some 70 occupants by October and continues to expand despite the deepening snow and freezing temperatures.
It sits on property belonging to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT); Metro Transit runs the nearby Cedar-Riverside light-rail station.
In a strongly-worded email to constituents, Council Member Jamal Osman condemned state leaders for ignoring his pleas to help ensure the safety of 100 unhoused people living at the encampment, where conditions have deteriorated this winter. It took six weeks and the intervention of a state legislator just to get portable toilets delivered to the site — even after human waste piled up amid the tents.
"My staff and I have been begging for action at this encampment for months. The Governor, MnDOT, and everyone else involved have avoided responsibility, passed off blame..." said Osman, who accused the government agency of refusing to meet with community members about the issue.
"Politicians have no qualms about coming around Cedar Riverside at election time, but when a homeless encampment puts the health and safety of every resident there at risk, the Governor and his appointees couldn't be bothered to show up for the community," Osman continued, demanding MnDOT work with the city to close the camp as soon as possible. "The residents I represent deserve better."
In response, MnDOT spokesperson Jake Loesch said the agency "has always maintained that highway right-of-way is not a safe place for human beings to live" and now plans to close the site.
"Closing an encampment site and ensuring the safety of unhoused people in the site as well as our staff requires careful planning and coordination between multiple local partners," he said. "Today's fatal shooting underscores the importance of that careful planning and of ensuring information about services and shelter beds are provided. MnDOT continues to coordinate with local and state partners on safety at this site."
This marks the city's third homicide of the year and the second in just 10 hours. A rash of gunfire this week has resulted in several violent incidents with multiple victims, including two quadruple shootings — one at an after-hours party on Hennepin Avenue Sunday morning and another Monday night at a south Minneapolis bus station on E. Lake Street.
Staff writer Susan Du contributed to this report.
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