The city’s ShotSpotter system alerted city police to the shooting at about 12:50 p.m. near the intersection where George Floyd was murdered two years ago. Police found a man lying near the intersection. Another had run south into an alley and collapsed. Police, firefighters and medics made life-saving efforts, police spokesman Officer Garrett Parten said. One man died in hospital. Police said the other man had “possibly life-threatening gunshot wounds,” but his condition was not available Sunday afternoon. Parten said investigators were at the scene. He said initial reports indicated evidence — possibly a gun or shell casings — had been taken by someone other than a police officer. He said the Police Department is asking anyone with information about the evidence, victims or suspects to contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can be submitted online at CrimeStoppersMN.org. “Whether they know where the evidence is or who took the evidence, that’s important information for this homicide investigation,” Parten said. The intersection — now known as George Floyd Square — quickly became a place to pay tribute to Floyd after his killing by a Minneapolis police officer sparked a global movement to change policing. The area was turned into a semi-autonomous zone as city leaders debated how to respond to demands from protesters and residents who wanted action against the growing violence in the neighborhood. The fatal shooting was the second in a week near the intersection. Mohamed A. Omar, 29, died after being shot in the area at about 3:20 a.m. of the 7th of August. Parten said the Police Department looks at crime trends to decide where to deploy officers. “A reasonable person would think that, with two homicides in that area, that additional patrols are likely to occur,” he said.
