Hostile Crowd Impedes EMS After Minneapolis Shooting, Cops Say

Star Tribune

Gunfire struck and critically wounded a man inside a Walgreens in north Minneapolis, where a crowd obstructed paramedics who were trying to give emergency aid to the victim, authorities said Tuesday.

The shooting occurred shortly before 6:15 p.m. Monday at the store on West Broadway near N. Lyndale Avenue, police said.

Police arrived and provided immediate medical aid to the man until paramedics arrived, said officer Garrett Parten, the MPD's chief spokesman.

"A crowd formed, and some in the crowd interfered with the efforts of paramedics," Parten said, prompting a call for additional officers to head to the scene.

"MPD officers were able to control the crowd, and arrests of crowd members were made," Parten said.

The wounded man was taken by ambulance to North Memorial Health, Parten said.

One man "was detained for interfering with police and paramedics," then released pending charges of obstructing the legal process, Parten said.

Police have announced no arrests in connection with the shooting, nor have they given any preliminary indication of a motive for the gunfire.

North Memorial spokeswoman Kara Hille said nearly 24 hours after the shooting that she had no information about whether any paramedics were physically harmed.