MPD credits use of automatic license plate reader in shooting arrest
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man was arrested in connection to a shooting after Minneapolis police say they used an automatic license plate reader to track him down.
Ananias Cortex Williams, 28, of Minneapolis, is charged with second-degree assault and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.
Minneapolis shooting investigation
Local perspective:
Minneapolis police responded to a report of a shooting in the 1200 block of Oliver Avenue North in Minneapolis around 9:45 p.m. on July 20. Arriving officers then found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his left arm. That man said he was sitting in front of his house with another man when he was shot.
Investigators say they recovered about 35 spent bullet casings as well as fired bullets and bullet fragments. Three parked cars were struck by gunfire.
Authorities then reviewed surveillance footage and saw a dark Ford Explorer with silver roof rails, chrome on the lower part of the passenger doors and unique five-spoke rims being driven south along Penn Avenue North and Plymouth about 10 minutes before the shooting.
At that intersection, investigators ran an automatic license plate reader, which showed who the license plate was registered to. Police then found the registered owner is also connected to a Glock 19 handgun that was recovered in a 2023 case and released back to her in 2025. Investigators then found ballistic evidence — specifically a 9mm discharged cartridge casing found at the scene of the Oliver Avenue shooting — linked that firearm to three other shootings in 2026. One of those shootings also involved the same suspect vehicle, according to the complaint.
The backstory:
Minneapolis police determined they stopped the same Ford Explorer about a month before the shooting and found Ananias Cortex Williams was the driver and the sole occupant of the vehicle. He was also wearing a ski mask.
After the shooting, investigators located Williams' cell phone number through his Hennepin County supervised release paperwork. An electronic tracking warrant showed his phone was in the area of the shooting at 9:39 p.m. on July 20 — eight minutes before shots were fired.
Investigators also noted that Williams shares a cell phone account with the owner of the Explorer and the owner of the Glock 19. The two also have a child together.
The arrest:
On Aug. 19, Minneapolis SWAT served a search warrant at Williams' home and arrested him.
The criminal complaint states that during a post-Miranda interview, Williams admitted he had gone with a friend to visit women near the address on Oliver Avenue North. He said he parked a block away because sometimes "women set them up." He said there were two men outside when he approached the address.
According to Williams, one man said, "Who are y'all here for, what's going on, why are y'all here?" Williams claimed one of the males became aggressive and that "things escalated."
He said one of the men made a motion toward his waistband, at which point Williams said he pulled a Glock 19 from his own waistband and fired.
Williams, according to the complaint, also said he could have "back peddled" and tried to leave.
The Source: This story uses information from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County Court.