George Floyd Square In Minneapolis Hit For Second Time With Deadly Violence
A man was killed and another was critically injured in a shooting at Minneapolis' George Floyd Square on Sunday afternoon, marking the second fatal shooting at the intersection-turned-memorial plaza where the former truck driver and security guard died at police hands in May 2020.
Police responded to reports of gunfire where they discovered one injured man in the middle of the street and another in a nearby alley. Both victims were in their twenties.
The men were taken to Hennepin Healthcare, and the man who died from his injuries became the 58th homicide victim in the city in 2022. The other man is fighting for his life after suffering life-threatening injuries.
Minneapolis Police Department Public Information Officer Garrett Parten says it’s likely that extra patrols will be deployed to the square CBS News reported.
Police are still looking for at least one suspect in Sunday's shooting, which occurred in a crowded area. In addition, police say there have been unconfirmed reports that potential evidence, including a gun, was removed from the scene before officers arrived.
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The shooting comes just one week after Mohamed Omar, 29, was shot and killed near the square, police say. No arrests have been made yet in that shooting.
The square, at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis had been a gathering place for people demonstrating against police brutality in the wake of Floyd’s death. Murals line the wall of the square and a fist sculpture, surrounded by flowers, honor Floyd’s memory.
Meanwhile members of the community are trying to determine how to eliminate violent crime from the area of the square, given that its social and cultural importance to many is heightened.
"If we can actually have access to integrative health and wellness resources that we can be actively promoting ... in the context of community, we can get those resources out there," Jeanelle Austin, a caretaker of the square, told CBS Minnesota.
