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Minnesota law enforcement agencies announce plan to address gang violence
More than 40 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are announcing a new partnership to address gang and group violence across Minnesota. The collaboration comes after a string of South Metro shootings, including the Eden Prairie homecoming football game shooting and a Bloomington shooting believed to be retaliation.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Authorities are announcing a new partnership involving more than 40 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address gang and group violence in Minnesota following a string of shootings across the Twin Cities metro.
New law enforcement partnership
The backstory:
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), 46 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have agreed to a new framework and identified resources to address recent gang and group violence in Minnesota.
Many law enforcement agencies already have their own gang units, and most departments have mutual aid agreements. However, the new collaboration is expected to bring together resources from dozens of agencies.
The BCA said the effort will rely heavily on existing resources, with work already underway as agreements are finalized.
Law enforcement leaders are scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Monday to explain how the new partnership will work.
BCA Superintendent Drew Evans, FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Dotson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Joe Persails and Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges are among those expected to speak.
Recent gang-related shootings
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Connected shootings tied to Somali gangs, court records say
Newly obtained court documents detail an investigation that linked multiple shootings in the Twin Cities' west metro area to a cycle of retaliation involving Somali gangs. FOX 9 reporter Mike Manzoni has the details from those documents and the evidence gathered by law enforcement.
Gang-related shootings:
The new collaboration comes after investigators linked a string of shootings across the Twin Cities metro to Somali youth gangs, including incidents in Edina, Eden Prairie and Bloomington.
On Sept. 22, shots were fired outside Our Lady of Grace Church in Edina while teenagers were playing basketball nearby, though no one was hurt. Edina police said the shooting was part of a broader pattern of gun violence involving Somali teens and young adults.
On Oct. 2, a shooting outside Eden Prairie High School's homecoming football game left two teenagers injured and prompted officials to evacuate the stadium.
According to court documents, the incident began with a fight on the stadium grounds that police broke up. A second fight broke out between two groups in the parking lot before an alleged gunman opened fire.
The alleged gunman, 18-year-old Adam Abdihakeem Adam, is charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of riot involving a dangerous weapon.
Four additional men, including one of the shooting victims, are facing third-degree riot charges in connection with the incident. All five men have been released on bond.
Retaliatory shooting:
One of the men charged in the Eden Prairie homecoming shooting was also the target of a separate shooting in Bloomington, according to law enforcement.
Surveillance video reportedly showed at least two gunmen firing more than 100 rounds in a Bloomington neighborhood. Investigators believe the shooting may have been retaliation for the Eden Prairie homecoming shooting.
What's next:
Law enforcement leaders are expected to provide additional details Monday afternoon about how the new collaboration will work.
The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting and information from a BCA press release.