Edina park shooting: Police struggle to find witnesses after Yancey Park gunfire

EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Residents in Edina are demanding answers after a park shooting left the community shaken and investigators struggling to get witnesses to talk.

Police share new details and community concerns at public meeting

What we know:

Police said the shooting at Yancey Park on July 22 involved two groups. More than 30 people were present, but no one was hit by bullets.

Investigators said they have collected evidence but are having a hard time getting witnesses to cooperate.

"One of the fundamental problems that we’re having right now is the lack of witness cooperation, and that’s what we’re seeing with lots of these cases," said Edina Police Chief Todd Milburn, who spoke to a crowd at the park Monday night.

Milburn said the shooting stemmed from a feud between two groups, both described as Somali.

Some residents at the meeting questioned whether police and other officials were being open enough about the people involved, while others worried about the impact on the broader Somali community.

"It’s a simplistic view if it feels like 108,000 Somali American residents in the State of Minnesota feel like they’re on trial," cautioned Asad Dahir, an Edina resident. "The rhetoric that’s going on in the community is not helpful."

‘We’re terrified’: Edina residents react and share concerns about safety

What they're saying:

"We’re terrified," said Kayla Wright, an Edina resident. "I can’t sleep with my windows open at night."

"Not naming who’s doing it doesn’t help," said Sue Keator, an Edina resident. "If it was hockey kids, they’d be saying it was hockey kids."

Some community members expressed frustration that the conversation could unfairly target Somali residents.

The chief said the issue is part of a broader trend in the metro area, where people show up at parks and open fire. 

EdinaCrime and Public SafetyMinnesota