Nine people were injured early Sunday morning after gunfire broke out during a large gathering outside Reign Event Center in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Police said officers arrived at the scene near 29th and Hennepin avenues in less than a minute after reports came in around 12:30 a.m., but quickly called for backup due to the size of the crowd and the number of people hurt.
Four victims were found at the scene, while five others later arrived at area hospitals seeking treatment. The injured included seven men and two women, most in their early twenties, ranging in age from 18 to 27. Two of the men, ages 20 and 21, suffered life-threatening wounds, though authorities said by Sunday afternoon that all nine victims are expected to recover.
Investigators believe the violence began outside the venue following some kind of altercation, and they are also examining whether shots may have been fired from a passing vehicle. The city’s Firearm Assault Shoot Team has taken the lead on the case. As of Sunday, no arrests had been made.
City Leaders and Neighbors React
Local officials condemned the shooting in strong terms. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the incident intolerable and vowed accountability for those responsible, while also pointing to the need for continued investment in police staffing and crime-fighting technology. Interim police chief Bill Peterson described the attack as senseless and cowardly, noting it took place in a crowded entertainment district where bystanders were put at serious risk.
Nearby residents said the shooting had shaken the neighborhood. A local pastor said the violence occurred within a block of his home and admitted he doesn’t see easy solutions to stopping this kind of crime. Other people living close to the scene described feeling frightened by how close the shooting happened to their own homes.
According to social media posts connected to the venue, the club had been hosting a meet-and-greet with a reality television personality at the time shots were fired outside. The event’s host later said online that a weapon modified to fire automatically may have been used, and offered prayers for those wounded.
This same block of Uptown was the site of another mass shooting in June 2020, when 11 people were hurt in a separate incident, though no connection between the two events has been established.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota.
