SCANNER: 2 Guardsmen Hurt in Shots Fired Incident in North Minneapolis
Two Minnesota National Guard members were injured when a man fired around 10 gunshots from a vehicle toward Minneapolis police officers and a Guard contingent in the area of Penn Ave. N. & W. Broadway Ave. just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday, April 18. The soldiers were not struck by gunfire: one had minor injuries from shattered glass and was transported to a hospital, while the other soldier had superficial injuries, according to the Minnesota National Guard.
An occupant of a light-colored SUV reportedly fired the gunshots before fleeing westbound on W. Broadway Ave. A Minneapolis officer initiated pursuit of the suspect vehicle but lost sight of it near Hwy. 100 into Robbinsdale.
"I am relieved to know none of our Guardsmen were seriously injured," said Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General. "This event highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now. I ask for peace as we work through this difficult time."
The Minnesota National Guard is activated as part of Operation Safety Net, a joint effort among the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the State of Minnesota and local jurisdictions. The Minnesota National Guard was activated during the Derek Chauvin trial as well as the aftermath of the killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center.
In an unrelated incident, a man reportedly waived a rifle at Guard members in the area of Lagoon Ave. & Hennepin on Saturday night. Police caught up with that suspect driver several hours later not far from the initial incident and said an AR-style rifle was found inside the vehicle.