Four minors shot while driving a stolen vehicle in Minneapolis, according to police
Five youngsters were in the vehicle, with one girl critically hurt. Two boys and another girl sustained injuries as well.
Four children under 15 were injured by gunfire, with one in critical condition, after they were found driving a stolen car in Minneapolis during the weekend, police reported.
During a press briefing, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, officers were responding to multiple ShotSpotter alerts in the area when they received a 911 call about a vehicle containing multiple shooting victims.
The car had five kids inside, with four suffering from gunshot wounds: two boys and two girls, according to Chief O’Hara. All the children were between 11 and 14 years old and were transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. He mentioned that one girl was shot in the head and was in critical but stable condition. The other three juveniles had injuries that were not life-threatening.
The fifth child in the vehicle was unharmed. O’Hara explained that this child was briefly detained at the scene after it was confirmed the car was stolen, but was later released to their parents since they were only 11 years old.
The identities of the injured minors have not been disclosed.
Youth were shot at by another driver while in a stolen Kia
According to the police’s initial investigation, the children were driving the stolen Kia when a dark-colored sedan began to follow them and someone inside opened fire with “fully automatic gunfire.” Chief O’Hara indicated that roughly 30 pieces of ballistic evidence were collected from the site, suggesting that more shots could have been fired.
The assailant fled the scene, and no arrests have been made as of now.
Authorities confirmed that the five minors would not face charges due to state laws concerning their age.
In a subsequent press conference, O’Hara remarked that the shooting could have been “preventable,” as the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office had the chance to take action against “at least two” of the kids in the days leading up to the incident after felony charges were filed against them on August 9. He did not specify the names of the juveniles or the nature of the felony charges.
