Police name gunman in Minneapolis apartment building shooting; 2 victims identified
Authorities have identified the suspected gunman and the two men killed in Wednesday’s shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building. The gunman was shot and killed by police during an exchange of gunfire that injured two officers.
Investigators believe the gunman was 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson, though formal identification was still pending. He was armed with a handgun and had a valid permit to carry, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
The shooting began at 4:36 p.m. Wednesday at Shoreline Plaza, an apartment complex at 15 E. Grant St. The first shooting happened outside during what appeared to be an arranged custody exchange between the suspect and a woman with whom he had previously been in a relationship.
The woman was shot in the leg, and the child was able to escape unharmed. The suspect then entered the building and shot two employees on the first floor. A female employee suffered critical injuries, while the male employee’s injuries were believed to be less serious.
The gunman then took an elevator to the ninth floor, where he fatally shot Dale Henry Spry, 63, and Muse Abdi Afrah, 61.
“We have no indication that he was targeting them specifically at that time,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said of the two men. Investigators are looking into whether they had any connection to eviction proceedings involving Johnson.
Officers arrived within minutes and followed the sound of gunfire up a stairwell to the ninth floor. A haze limited visibility in the hallway, possibly after gunfire struck pipes or other objects. Two exchanges of gunfire followed, and the suspect was killed.
Officer Joseph Michanowski was shot in the stomach and was still receiving treatment. Officer Yai Ahmed was shot in the leg and fired his weapon, while Officer Liban Mohamed Ibrahim was uninjured but also fired during the exchange. A third officer suffered a non-life-threatening injury unrelated to the exchange of gunfire.
Officer Ibrahim was among the first officers who responded to last year’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, where two children were killed and other people were injured, according to media reports.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
