Two men shot, wounded inside Uptown restaurant

Two men were shot inside the Breakfast Klub restaurant in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood Thursday.

Officers responded around 12:10 p.m. to the restaurant in the 1300 block of Lagoon Avenue, and found the two men with gunshot wounds that weren't life-threatening, according to Minneapolis police spokesman Brian Feintech. Both were transported to HCMC.

Early investigation indicates the two men were inside the restaurant when one or more people walked in and shot them, Feintech said.

There have been no arrests so far, and police are still investigating.

Khadar M., a 25-year-old who declined to give his full last name, said he was in his apartment across the street from the restaurant when he heard gunshots. He said he went to his balcony and saw three or four "people running out and screaming."

The Breakfast Klub opened in January. Trahern Pollard, founder of the violence prevention group We Push For Peace, said he feels for the restaurant owners and staff having to deal with a shooting so soon.

"This is the type of stuff that breaks your heart," he said.

Thursday's shooting was the second in the 1300 block of Lagoon in the past four months. In October, Gabriel "Dino" Mendoza, 23, was working security at the Fire House Uptown when he was fatally shot. There have been no arrests in his killing.

The area around Hennepin and Lagoon has been in flux in recent years. Several restaurants have closed, including the Uptown Tavern & Rooftop, Cowboy Slim's, Williams Pub, the Pourhouse Uptown and Stella's Fish Café & Prestige Oyster Bar.

The Breakfast Klub moved into the space formerly occupied by Hammer & Sickle, which closed last year.

Staff writer Mike Hughlett contributed to this report.