Council member wants Boom Island parking lot closed after shootings

Minneapolis Boom Island shooting: Victim ID latest

Minneapolis Boom Island shooting: Victim ID latestFOX 9’s Mary McGuire is live from Boom Island Park with the latest on a shooting, including the identity of the victim who was killed.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis City Council member is calling for the parking lot at Boom Island Park to be closed at 8 p.m. daily after one person was killed, and five others injured in gunfire Sunday night.

Michael Rainville in the Third Ward gave that update Monday afternoon. He said he’s already talked with staff from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and requested to have the parking lot closed until it’s determined to be unnecessary.

Boom Island Park shootings leave 1 dead, 5 hurt

Minneapolis police are investigating a mass shooting at Boom Island Park Sunday night that left one woman dead, and five others injured. FOX 9's Mary McGuire has the latest from Minneapolis.

"During that period, I will continue to work with park officials on long-term safety strategies. Our parks should be a safe and welcoming space for all, not scenes of violence," Rainville said in a statement.

Boom Island shootings: 1 dead, 5 hurt

Why you should care:

A shooting at Boom Island Park near downtown Minneapolis left five men injured and a woman dead Sunday night.

Police responded to reports of gunfire at Boom Island Park around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, officers found a "chaotic scene" with at least 100 people still in the park. 

In total, police say six people were shot. Three shooting victims were found at the scene, one person was found in a car near the entrance of the park, and two people were transported by private vehicle. One additional adult was injured during the commotion afterward and was possibly knocked unconscious. 

‘More akin to a war zone’

What they're saying:

Investigators were on scene Monday to collect the "hundreds of pieces of evidence." Police believe there was more than one shooter, and described the number of casings as something that would be found in a "warzone."

"This is outrageous. It’s more akin to a warzone with the amount of shell casings the officers are recovering here than something you would find in a park. It’s sickening," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. 

Police are working to determine what led up to the shooting, but said there was some type of large gathering at the park that erupted into gunfire. 

Troubled past at Boom Island

The backstory:

In his message to residents Monday, Councilman Rainville detailed a troubled past with violence at Boom Island Park:

• Ongoing issues at the park for several years now. In 2022, there was a gunfight with over 100 shots fired with multiple victims.
• Last Friday, officers responded to a report of shots fired and found evidence that an individual had been shot in the parking lot.
• Sunday, officers again responded to a shots-fired call and found a chaotic scene with a large group of people. One person was killed, four were injured by gunfire, and one was injured from being run over by a car. Officers found well over 100 casings from this incident.

Sunday night’s shooting remains under investigation.