A 34-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a series of fatal shootings that left three people dead and two others critically wounded in Minneapolis earlier this week.
Authorities say a fourth person may have been killed in a retaliatory shooting just hours later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the arrest Thursday afternoon, crediting a joint effort between the U.S. Marshals local fugitive task force and an FBI SWAT team.
The suspect was taken into custody and booked into the Hennepin County Jail. As of Thursday evening, he had not been formally charged.
The initial shooting took place late Tuesday night, leaving three Native American victims dead — a 20-year-old woman, a 17-year-old boy, and a 27-year-old man.
Two others, a 28-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Just 13 hours later, a 30-year-old man was fatally shot outside an apartment complex that houses the Minneapolis offices of the Red Lake Nation.
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That shooting, O’Hara said, is believed to have been a possible act of retaliation, though a different suspect is believed to be responsible.
“These events have shaken our Native community,” Chief O’Hara said during a press briefing. “It’s a reminder of the urgent need to address ongoing violence, especially within vulnerable populations.”
Although the motives remain under investigation, police believe the shootings are gang-related based on what O’Hara described as the “lived experience” of people in the neighborhood.
The shootings occurred in a neighborhood just south of downtown Minneapolis, an area home to a significant Indigenous population. Community leaders have expressed sorrow and frustration, urging for peace and more protection for Native youth.
No names have been released yet, as families are still being notified. The investigation is ongoing.
