Man in custody after Minneapolis shooting incident ends in Kandiyohi County with 1 dead, 1 injured

A man is in custody Tuesday after a shooting incident that began in Minneapolis and ended with one person dead and another injured just west of the Twin Cities.

Authorities arrested the man on a series of charges, including murder, after he allegedly fired a gun from a balcony in Minneapolis, fled from police and shot and killed a person in Kandiyohi County.

Around 12:30 p.m., Minneapolis police responded to a report of a person shooting from the balcony of an Uptown apartment building.

At least two people were inside the apartment at the time of the shooting, including the suspect’s ex-girlfriend and his current boyfriend. Police say those two people and the suspect got into a fight and shots were fired. No one was injured in this incident.

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter and his ex-girlfriend have a child together. That information prompted law enforcement to respond to the child’s daycare in the 5th Precinct, Chief O’Hara said.

The daycare was closed and the child was taken safely to a relative’s home.

Police authorities ended up contacting the suspect by phone and crisis negotiators spoke to him “for some time”. However, authorities later discovered that the suspect was no longer in his apartment and was traveling outside of the Twin Cities.

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday night that the suspect traveled west through several counties before shooting and wounding a man in a rural home in Kandiyohi County.

The suspect was then chased to the Highway 71/23 bypass southeast of Willmar, where police say he “attempted to steal the car” before fatally shooting the driver.

The identity of this victim has not yet been released.

The suspect was eventually booked into the Kandiyohi County Jail on multiple charges, including murder, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Today, several lives were put in danger, with one person unfortunately losing their life,” said Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Spokesperson Imran Ali. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. Please continue to support the victims, their families and our first responders in your prayers today.”

Minneapolis police officers later executed a search warrant at the building and confirmed that no other victims were in the unit.

“After he left Minneapolis…it appears that crimes occurred, some tragedy occurred outside of the city – and this occurred in western counties,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon .

“I know our officers did absolutely everything they could, but it appears this individual was homicidal and determined to commit violence,” O’Hara added.

During the investigation, Minneapolis police blocked off a few blocks of Lyndale Avenue in Uptown — at least from Lake Street to West 28th Street — while they searched the building.

During the press conference, O’Hara added: “I have no information that indicates there was a history of domestic violence between these two individuals; however, I would like to remind the community that whenever people find themselves in a situation that may be heightened due to heat of passion or something involving a relationship, if people want to, they can take action and the police will come and help.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:

More than 12 million people in the U.S. alone are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources such as safe shelter, advocacy, legal help, and support groups.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see this.

Other organizations that can help include:

Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for crime victims that can be found HERE.