Dinkytown residents concerned after deadly weekend shooting

Police are still searching for the person behind a deadly shooting near the University of Minnesota.

Early Sunday morning, a young man died just feet from U of M student Michael Lambert’s doorsteps.

“I was shocked, it’s kind of something that you don’t expect,” said Lambert.

DeSean Daggs of Eden Prairie was among a large group of people gathered outside a housing complex located blocks from the University of Minnesota, when shots rang out. Daggs, who was 23, was shot and killed. A 22-year-old man who was also hit is expected to survive.

With the suspect still at large, some in the Dinkytown community are on edge. 

“It does make me feel unsafe because this is something that you wish wouldn’t happen near you,” said Lambert.

University officials say Daggs, nor the second victim were U of M students. But Lambert says that there are university students living at the housing complex.  

“Occasionally there are parties and somebody will set off fireworks, but nothing like this,” said Lambert.

U of M senior Hailey Flink has lived in the area for several years.

“I’m surprised with how close it happened to where I live,” said Flink. “It’s never happened to me, but I’ve had friends held at gunpoint before coming home late at night, so I’ve never been affected personally, but I’ve heard about things.”

Flink says that the university does a good job sending out email alerts making all students aware of crimes when they happen. Adding to a sense of security, residents say that campus police recently set up surveillance cameras in the neighborhood, but after Sunday's shooting some students would now like to see beefed up police patrols throughout Dinkytown.

“I think that if they put people on patrol in those areas it would help a lot more,” said Flink.