2 Minneapolis mass shooting victims were twin sisters
2 twins shot in Minneapolis mass shooting
Two women who were twins were shot in the mass shooting in Minneapolis Tuesday night. One of the twins lost her life while the other is fighting for her life in the hospital.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - FOX 9 is learning more about two of the victims from Tuesday night’s shooting at East 25th Street near Bloomington Avenue. It's where three people were killed, and two others were injured.
Born together, separated forever
What we know:
Shianna Smallwood’s two younger cousins, Maleice and Merelle White, were two of the victims from Tuesday night’s shooting.
"Those two girls, they’re so innocent. They were so sweet so pure," said Smallwood Maleice and Merelle’s older cousin.
Smallwood, who is devastated, says her two cousins were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Both of them are identical twins. Merelle White is dead, and Maleice is fighting for her life in the hospital.
"I had an idea but didn’t want to believe it," said Smallwood.
Tuesday night’s mass shooting
The backstory:
Smallwood tells FOX 9 she knew her younger cousins were going out Tuesday night. But she didn’t expect them to be shot at East 25th Street near Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis.
Responding officers found a man on the sidewalk near the alley with life-threatening gunshot wounds.
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.
That woman, 20-year-old Merelle White.
"She just bought her car a couple of weeks ago. She just signed a lease for an apartment. She had big things going for her," said Smallwood.
The two others, a man and a woman, were taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, the woman Maleice White.
"The bullet had went into her cheek, there’s no exit wound so it's still in the roof of her mouth. They had to reconstruct everything in her mouth," said Smallwood.
Shooting targeted, police suspect gang activity
What we know:
Police believe Tuesday night’s shooting was targeted and potentially gang-related. They arrested 34-year-old James Ortley Thursday for the shooting at East 25th and Bloomington Avenue.
"Everyone’s hurt, why? And knowing that this is a native-on-native type of deal, why would you do that," said Smallwood.
What’s next: Now Maleice is left to pick up the pieces and go on in life without her twin sister, her other half.
"I can’t imagine how she’s going to wake up and feel that Merelle’s not here no more," said Smallwood.
Shianna tells FOX 9 Maleice's surgery was successful. However, she adds twin Merelle was kind of like the mom to Maleice. Now, Maleice will have to rely on the support of family and friends.