Nine people were wounded, including two who suffered life-threatening injuries, after gunfire erupted outside a nightclub in Minneapolis early Sunday morning.
Police were called to Reign, a nightclub and event center in the city’s Uptown neighborhood, shortly before 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, according to FOX 9, KSTP and CBS Minnesota.
Investigators said the shooting happened outside the club on Hennepin Avenue following an altercation. A large crowd was gathered in the area when the gunfire began.
Because of the number of victims, officers from all five Minneapolis police precincts were called to help respond.
The first officers arrived roughly one minute after the initial reports of shots fired, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
They found four injured people at the scene, including a 20-year-old man who had suffered life-threatening wounds. Three other victims had injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Additional victims began arriving at area hospitals on their own.
An 18-year-old man was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Four more victims arrived at another hospital, including a 21-year-old man whose injuries were considered life-threatening. He was later transferred to a different hospital for additional treatment.
Three other men, ages 20, 21 and 22, were also treated at a separate hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the violence and called for additional resources and technology to help police prevent and investigate shootings.
“This is a stark reminder that keeping our streets safe requires every tool available,” Frey said.
“We need partnerships where the perpetrators of these acts are arrested and prosecuted, we need to continue hiring more police officers to both investigate and prevent gun crimes, and we must embrace proven technologies from drones to ShotSpotter that allow our police to do their jobs with greater efficiency.”
The Minneapolis Police Department’s Firearm Assault Shoot Team is investigating the incident.
Authorities are also working to determine whether some of the shots may have been fired from a vehicle.
No arrests had been announced as of Sunday morning.
Anyone with information is asked to email policetips@minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
