Minneapolis police: Shootings leave 4 people dead, 2 injured in 24 hours

Minneapolis fatal shootings: Police, mayor provide update [RAW]

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon about a 'targeted' shooting in Minneapolis that left three people dead, including a teenage boy, and two people hurt.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Shootings from Tuesday night into Wednesday afternoon left four people dead in Minneapolis.

Three people were killed, and two others were injured during an overnight shooting in Minneapolis, leaving police to investigate a rash of shootings that they believe could be connected.

Another fatal shooting occurred on Wednesday, which police believe could be in retaliation to the first two incidents - all of which remain under investigation.

Minneapolis fatal shooting Wednesday

Deadly Minneapolis shootings could be gang-related

Minneapolis police responded to multiple shootings that left four people killed in less than 24 hours. FOX 9's Rob Olson has the latest.

A man in his 30s was found dead after a shooting at 17th and Cedar Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.

Police believe it is likely related to the triple murder that happened on Tuesday night.

No one else was hurt, but one round struck a parked SUV nearby, narrowly missing two children who were strapped into child seats inside.

Investigators say a gang connection is "a strong possibility."

Evidence markers showed several shots were fired, but police have not yet provided an exact number.

Minneapolis mass shooting Tuesday night

What we know:

Police said officers responded at about 11:55 p.m. on April 29 to the 1500 block of East 25th Street, near Bloomington Avenue, in Minneapolis.

Responding officers found a man on the sidewalk near the alley with life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Minneapolis shooting leaves 3 dead

Three people were killed and two people were injured in an overnight shooting in Minneapolis. FOX 9's Bill Keller has the latest.

Nearby, police found two men and two women inside a vehicle. They were all suffering from gunshot wounds.

The man on the sidewalk and a man and a woman in the vehicle died at the scene. The two others, a man and a woman, were taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

MPD news conference 5 people shot, 3 killed [RAW]

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara talks to the media about an overnight shooting that left three people dead and two others injured. The shooting remains under investigation, but O'Hara believes this was a targeted shooting.

Second overnight Minneapolis shooting

Dig deeper:

A second shooting was reported about an hour later in Minneapolis, about five blocks away from the fatal shooting overnight.

Police said shots were fired on the 3000 block of 15th Avenue South, and at about 1:15 a.m. a man arrived at a hospital with apparent non-life-threatening gunshot injuries.

Police are investigating what led to both shootings. The identities of the victims will be released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.

All the victims were in their 20s, except for one victim, who was a 17-year-old teen male, who later died, police said.

What they're saying:

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara called the shootings a "senseless tragedy," but said that preliminary information indicates the shootings were targeted.

Wednesday afternoon, police were investigating another deadly shooting in the area of Cedar Avenue South and 17th Avenue South. In that shooting, a round struck the back door of an SUV, passing just beneath the legs of two young children in car seats, according to O'Hara.

"We’ve been hearing from people in the community that they believe they know what’s going on here, and we need them to come forward," O’Hara said on Wednesday.

"It’s been a horrible and tragic day. The homicides that took place overnight and today are unacceptable," said Minneapolis Mayor Friday on Wednesday, noting that the city’s Native American community was feeling the pain "more acutely."

Frey said the second shooting could be tied to the first as part of a "retaliation" between the two incidents.

Big picture view:

Before Tuesday night's shooting, gun violence in Minneapolis was declining and homicides in the city were down 67%.

"After a relative period of piece, the likes of which have not been seen in at least five years, that peace has been shattered. There are families that are grieving, and this is an absolutely senseless tragedy. We need our entire community members to stand up and to not accept this level of violence," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said.

What's next:

Authorities believe the shooting was targeted and potentially gang-related, and police have so far recovered "an extensive" amount of evidence as part of their investigation.

According to Frey, city officials are still working to track down the perpetrators of the crimes.

Crime and Public Safety Minneapolis