Minneapolis Shooting Leaves Multiple Dead and Three Officers Wounded at Downtown Apartment Tower

A gunman opened fire inside a downtown Minneapolis apartment tower on Wednesday afternoon, killing two people and wounding three police officers before he died, in an attack that sealed off a busy stretch of the city at rush hour.

Two Killed Inside Shoreline Plaza

The shooting broke out at about 4:36 p.m. local time at Shoreline Plaza, a high-rise at 15 East Grant Street formerly known as Loring Towers, near Loring Park and the Minneapolis Convention Centre. Police said one victim died at the scene and a second at Hennepin County Medical Centre, while the suspected gunman also died.

Six other people were hurt, including the three officers, the City of Minneapolis said. Officers reached the building within three minutes, encountered wounded residents, and followed the sound of gunfire to an upper floor where a haze cut their visibility, Sergeant Garrett Parten of the Minneapolis Police Department told reporters.

One neighbour said he heard about eight shots and saw a man he recognised holding a pistol before people ran, while another watched a property manager fall as the gunfire moved through the building.

Three Officers Among the Wounded

Two of the officers were shot, and a third was hurt by other means, police said, and all three are expected to recover. One had a gunshot wound to the leg, and another was taken into surgery. Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson praised the officers for placing themselves between a violent shooter and the people he meant to harm.

Peterson said police were familiar with the gunman but gave no motive, and he was not publicly named. A resident told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the man had warned days earlier he planned to shoot his ex-girlfriend and two of the building's managers. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it is investigating a use of force, indicating officers fired during the confrontation.

A Familiar Danger at Residential Calls

The attack renewed concern over the dangers police face when answering calls at apartment buildings. In May 2024, Officer Jamal Mitchell was shot and killed after he stopped to help a man he believed was hurt near a Whittier apartment complex, only to be ambushed. Investigators have not tied the two attacks together, and no motive has been confirmed.

Shoreline Plaza has a violent recent history, including a double killing inside the building last September. Wednesday's gunfire forced a heavy police presence that snarled downtown traffic at rush hour. The nearby University of St Thomas Minneapolis campus and the Hyatt Regency hotel ordered people to shelter in place before the all-clear came within the hour.

Officials Promise Federal Help

Governor Tim Walz said his public safety team was on the ground and that Minnesota was praying for its first responders. Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the response, and Director Kash Patel said the FBI would provide any resources needed. Senator Amy Klobuchar said she had spoken with Mayor Jacob Frey.

Police declared the scene secure by 7:45 p.m. and said there was no further threat to the public. Authorities have not confirmed how the gunman obtained his weapon or what set off the attack.