A violent shooting rampage at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building left two people dead and six wounded, including two police officers who were shot while confronting the gunman who had terrorized residents with his weapon for weeks.

Gunman Known to Residents and Police

The suspect opened fire at 15 E. Grant Street around 4:36 p.m. Wednesday, initially striking one victim before unleashing additional rounds as police arrived. Officers entered the high-rise building and followed gunfire to an upper floor where they encountered a mysterious haze that severely limited visibility. The gunman exchanged fire with responding officers before dying, though authorities have not clarified whether officers killed him or if he took his own life. Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson confirmed police were already familiar with the shooter but declined to release his identity.

Two Minneapolis officers sustained gunshot wounds during the confrontation. One officer was shot in the leg while another was struck twice in the abdomen. A third officer suffered non-gunshot injuries while evacuating residents. All three officers are in stable condition at Hennepin County Medical Center. Four additional civilians were transported to hospitals with gunshot wounds, with one dying after arrival. Another victim died at the scene.

Residents Warned Management About Armed Man

Multiple residents told reporters they recognized the shooter as someone who regularly brandished his firearm in the building. Julius Bailey witnessed the gunman holding a pistol outside and heard a woman screaming before fleeing as eight shots rang out. Bailey said he had deliberately avoided the man since moving into the building in June because of the shooter’s habit of displaying his weapon. Another resident, Chris Miller, reported encountering someone with a handgun in the hallway earlier that week and immediately notified building management about the threat.

One witness described running through the lobby during the attack and seeing multiple people shot on the ground. Another resident reported hearing 25 to 30 total shots as officers entered the building and engaged the gunman. Security cameras at a nearby restaurant captured the sound of sustained gunfire.

Police Credit Officers With Preventing Massacre

Mayor Jacob Frey praised the responding officers for their courage under fire, stating they evacuated residents and transported victims to hospitals while being shot at themselves. “But for their heroic work, the death toll would have been far higher,” Frey said. Chief Peterson condemned what he called “the cowardly acts of a violent shooter” while commending officers who ran toward danger. The incident remains under investigation as authorities work to determine the full sequence of events and the shooter’s motive.