Man fatally shot outside work after confronting suspected thief in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis police say a man was shot and killed outside his workplace after trying to stop a theft from a vehicle.  

Man fatally shot outside Minneapolis workplace

What we know:

The shooting happened shortly before 7 a.m. near the 2600 block of 32nd Avenue South. Police responded to a report of a person down outside a building and located a man in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. Despite life-saving measures, the victim, in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary information suggests the victim confronted an individual attempting to steal from a vehicle, leading to a brief struggle during which the victim was shot once in the torso. A coworker found the victim about 20 minutes later and called 911.

"Certainly no property is worth someone's life. This is absolutely senseless and tragic for someone to lose their life over an attempted, petty theft," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

According to police, there have been reports of thefts in the area, particularly during the overnight and early morning hours. O’Hara said it does not appear the suspect in this case was attempting to steal the car, but rather rifling through the vehicle in attempt to steal something, though it's unclear if anything was taken.

Anyone with information about this incident or other thefts in the area is encouraged to contact police.

What they're saying:

A spokesperson for the Cornerstone Parking Group sent FOX 9 this statement:

"We are deeply saddened that this shooting took the life of one of our employees, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. We are cooperating fully with investigating authorities as they work to identify and hold accountable the individual responsible for this tragedy."

What we don't know:

So far, no arrests have been made. The victim’s identity has not been released.