MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Several cases of a rare-yet-severe children’s liver illness have been reported in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
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Last week, the Center for Disease control issued an alert after a cluster of hepatitis and adenovirus cases were detected in children between the ages of 1 and 6.
M Health Fairview reported two cases of of the illness to the Minnesota Department of Health on Friday.
Dr. Heli Bhatt, a pediatric gastroenterologist at M Health Fairview, said a baby recently received a liver transplant. At the time, doctors did not know to test for the cases of hepatitis and adenovirus popping up across the nation, but looking back, the baby’s case fits the criteria.
More than two dozen cases have been reported across the country, including at least four in Wisconsin earlier this week. One child in Wisconsin needed a liver transplant, and another died.
READ MORE: Man Dies In Crash In Southwestern Minnesota, Three Others Injured
The CDC believes adenovirus to be the cause of the reported cases, but investigators are learning more.
Hepatitis symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, joint pain and jaundice. Adenoviruses spread from person to person, and most commonly cause respiratory illness. It presents as diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.
The CDC encourages anyone who interacts with children to wash hands often, avoid people who are sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and avoiding touching the eyes.
The illness is still quite rare, impacting roughly 200 children in Europe and the United States.
“It’s a disease that we are just seeing,” said Bhatt. “But let’s not panic.”
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The Minnesota Department of Health says it is waiting additional laboratory testing.
DULUTH, Minn. (WCCO) — Authorities say that five family members and a dog were found dead Wednesday afternoon inside a Duluth home.
The Duluth Police Department says that the bodies were found in a home on the 700 block of East 12th Street in the city’s East Hillside neighborhood.
READ MORE: Minneapolis Park Board Committee Votes In Favor Of Repealing Resolution Cutting Ties With Minneapolis Police
(credit: CBS)
According to investigators, police were searching for someone in regards to a welfare check in nearby Hermantown early Wednesday morning and the investigation led officers to the Duluth home.
Duluth police responded to the home around 12:30 p.m., believing that the person they were looking for had access to weapons. After officers entered the home wearing tactical gear, they found the bodies of five people, all believed to be related.
The names of the people have yet to be released, as authorities are working to notify their relatives. Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken spoke Wednesday night before we connected with grieving neighbors.
“Earlier today an unimaginable tragedy that struck our community. One that really is very, very difficult to us,” Tusken said. “Makes us have heavy, heavy hearts.”
Two neighbors tell WCCO it was a family of four and their dog who were found dead in their home. One neighbor said it’s just impossible to make sense of a tragedy like this. We’re told it was a mom, dad and two young daughters.
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“I connected with them as far as snowblowing, shoveling and their book club. I just can’t believe it. It doesn’t make any sense to me,” neighbor Joe Miller said.
The fifth person dead was the subject of the welfare check. A neighbor tells WCCO they were a relative of the family, and they may have been in the midst of a mental health crisis
No information has yet been released as to how the people died. Police say there is no threat to the public.
(credit: CBS)
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson issued a statement on Twitter, saying that the city is in shock, “sharing a sorrow for the loss of our people.”
She said more details will be provided once they are confirmed, and she thanked the first responders who were called to the home.
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“My heart, like yours, absolutely hurts for the pain of loved ones and the fear people likely experienced on their final day here with us,” Larson said.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – To help mitigate the spread of bird flu, the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota is asking people to take down bird feeders and stop using bird baths this spring.
“Because the science is unclear on the role of songbirds in this current H5N1 outbreak, one consideration is to not encourage birds to gather together at places such as bird feeders or bird baths,” Dr. Victoria Hall wrote on the Raptor Center’s Facebook page on Wednesday.
MORE: What You Need To Know About Bird Feeders And Bird Flu
Hall said this particular strain of bird flu is especially transmissible, and the Raptor Center sees the impact of the virus every day. The birds fall ill and and die quickly from the virus.
Hall said to pause the use of bird feeders and baths “for the next couple of months,” or until the rate of transmission in wild birds decreases.
“Not only will this action help to protect those beautiful feathered creatures that visit your yard, but will also help all wild bird species that are already having it hard this spring,” Hall continued.
The virus is shed in the feces and respiratory secretions of infected birds. The particles can survive for weeks in cool, damp environments.
Bird flu has cost Minnesota’s turkey farmers more than 1 million birds as of last week, and seven flocks have been infected across the border in Wisconsin. The Minnesota Legislature on Friday approved $1 million in emergency funding to help the state combat the spread of the disease.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Deep in the WCCO film archives are hundreds, if not thousands of opportunities to travel back in time. And on one reel a treasure lay hidden, untouched, for 52 years.
READ MORE: SCOTUS To Hear Copyright Dispute Involving Image Of Prince’s Likeness
The date was April 1970. Minneapolis Public Schools educators went on strike.
WCCO restored the film to offer context to the educators strike that happened in the same district just last month.
When WCCO Production Manager Matt Liddy learned 13 minutes of video had been restored from film in 1970, he decided to give it a look.
“I grew up in Minneapolis, so all I cared about was looking at cool old buildings from the place I grew up. Did I recognize my old school? Did I recognize any landmarks?” Liddy said.
His curiosity turned into a discovery when he saw a reporter interviewing kids as teachers picketed in the background next to school. And there was one young boy in particular who answered a question that left Liddy speechless.
“I immediately just went out to the newsroom and started showing people and saying, ‘I’m not gonna tell you who I think this is, but who do you think this is?’ And every single person [said] ‘Prince,’” Liddy said.
We didn’t have the right equipment to hear the film. A specialist helped us extract the audio. We then heard the boy speak after getting asked about the teachers striking. With a smile as his friends surrounded him, the boy who looked to be around 10 years old said: “I think they should get a better education too cause, um, and I think they should get some more money cause they work, they be working extra hours for us and all that stuff.”
It sure looked like child version of Prince Nelson, the Minneapolis kid who would turn into an international music icon. But there was one issue. The reporter never asked for the kid’s name.
“We did not get him saying ‘I’m Prince Nelson,’” Liddy said.
That set off our investigation. Right before the who boy who appeared to be Prince was interviewed, another young boy spoke. He charismatically said his name without even being asked. His name was Ronnie Kitchen.
We spent a day searching for phone numbers and addresses, trying to find a Ronnie Kitchen who would be at least 60 years old. He looked like a teenager in the video 52 years ago. But the phone numbers and addresses we found were dead ends.
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Uncovering And Authenticating Footage Of Young Prince
How about a picture? A yearbook photo showing Prince as a fifth grader popped up online. There were similarities in the face structure, but Prince would have been a sixth grader in the interview we found. We needed an expert, which led us to Kristen Zschomler. She’s a professional historian and archeologist who researches properties and landmarks around the Twin Cities. She’s also a dedicated fan of Prince who wanted to make sure other fans had trustworthy knowledge of where he grew up in Minneapolis, where he went to school, basically his life before he became a superstar.
“They called him Skipper,” she said as she showed us a family photo of Prince as a toddler. “I’ve written a big document sort of outlining his historic journey from Minneapolis’ northside to Paisley Park and the world.”
The document is well over 100 pages long.
Zschomler said videos of Prince as a pre-teen are almost non-existent in the public eye.
“As far as video, I am not familiar with any. Doesn’t mean they don’t exist but I’m not familiar with any,” she said.
READ MORE: Morris Day Says Prince Estate Preventing Him From Using The Time’s Band Name
Shortly into our interview, we showed her the video from the 1970 strike. She gasped when the boy who looked like Prince entered the frame, then a smile formed, followed by her struggling to compose a sentence when the video clip finished.
“I think that’s him, definitely. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I think that’s definitely Prince,” she said.
Another element of the video caught her eye in the background.
“This definitely looks like Lincoln Junior High School where he would have been attending school in April of 1970,” she said.
Zschomler then showed us what is believed to be a sixth-grade picture of Prince the same school year of the strike. We compared it to the strike video. The hairstyle was spot on.
(credit: CBS)
“There’s so much in his mannerisms and his eyes and everything that it looks like him,” she said.
Despite the evidence, we still needed someone who knew Prince as a kid. Zschomler connected us with Terrance Jackson.
“We go far back as kindergarten at John Hay Elementary in north Minneapolis,” Jackson said.
He’s a childhood friend and former neighbor who was also in Prince’s first band, Grand Central, when they were teenagers.
“Oh my God, that’s Kitchen,” Jackson exclaimed as the video began, immediately recognizing Ronnie Kitchen as a teenager. “That is Prince! Standing right there with the hat on, right? That’s Skipper! Oh my God!”
He was giddy with laughter. Then Prince began to speak. Jackson grew quiet, only saying “wow” a few times softly. By the end of the video, he was wiping tears from his eyes and laughing again.
“I am like blown away. I’m totally blown away,” he said, as the memories from their childhood flooded out.
“He was already playing guitar and keys by then, phenomenally,” Jackson said. “Music became our sport. Because he was athletic, I was athletic, but we wanted to compete musically.”
Jackson’s wife Rhoda grew up alongside them. She too couldn’t contain her laughter when she saw Prince, then heard him talk as an 11-year-old boy.
“It’s just amazing to see him, that small, that young, and hear his voice,” Rhoda said.
Our mystery regarding one of the most mysterious men in music was solved. Just a young city kid, years before he put his city and its sound on the map.
“That’s Prince, aka Skipper to the Northside,” Jackson said.
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“I think just seeing Prince as a young child in his neighborhood school, you know, it helps really ground him to that Minneapolis connection,” Zschomler said. “Even if they’re momentary glimpses into what Minneapolis meant to him, what he stood up for when he lived in Minneapolis, just helps understand that symbiotic connection he had to his hometown.”
HENNEPIN CO., Minn. (WCCO) – Two Minnesotans headed to Poland on Saturday to help with the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe.
They’re volunteers from the Minneapolis-based Global Humanitarian Organization, Alight.
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Alissa Jordan and Andezu Orionzi arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on a mission and with a U-Haul truck.
Minneapolis @We_Are_Alight volunteers Alissa Jordan and Andezu Orionzi are heading to Poland this afternoon with 15 bags of supplies. They’re joining other relief workers at Medyka, the busiest border crossing in #Poland. More on their mission tonight at 10pm on @WCCO pic.twitter.com/lx3KkkksRL
— Kirsten Mitchell (@Kirsten_TV) March 12, 2022
“There is a heaviness attached to travel like this, but there is also an element of hope,” Orionzi said.
They’re bringing 15 bags of high-demand supplies to the Ukrainian-Poland border to help with the growing refugee crisis.
“We are actually sending some of these medical supplies into Ukraine to those holed up in bomb shelters or to hospitals that need resupplying,” Jordan said.
READ MORE: Negotiations Continue On 5th Day Of Minneapolis Educator Strike
The volunteers have a long journey. They’re taking a 13-hour flight through Amsterdam to get to Warsaw, then driving five hours to Medyka, the busiest border crossing in Poland.
“Many of whom are women and children walking for hours and crossing the border, we know we need to keep them warm and safe,” Orionzi said.
They’ll be joining eight other Alight volunteers at the border, who have been there since the end of February. They’ve been handing out thousands of blankets and creating warming tents for the refugees who have to wait hours in the cold before moving to the reception center.
Both women have been on humanitarian missions before but it’ll be their first time in eastern Europe.
“I’m sure it will be challenging but this is our job, this is what we do as humanitarians, and we are really proud to be doing anything we can to support people who are fleeing,” Jordan said.
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Once the two arrive in Poland, Alight will have 10 volunteers from around the world there, including three from Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – After the Vikings failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and the fifth time in eight years, the team has reportedly fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.
The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the moves Monday morning. WCCO’s Mike Max has confirmed the firings.
READ MORE: 4 Potential Replacements For Mike Zimmer As Vikings’ Head Coach
Spielman released the following statement Monday:
“I am honored to have been a part of the Minnesota Vikings organization and this incredible community for the past 16 years. The people of this state welcomed me and my family and treated us with the utmost respect throughout our tenure. Michelle and I created many special memories with our children here, and we will always consider Minnesota our home.
“Vikings fans, you are some of the most passionate in all of sports. The tremendous game day atmosphere and home field advantage at U.S. Bank Stadium is because of each of you. There is nothing like the emotions we shared together at kickoff each Sunday.
“To the Vikings players, coaches and staff, I sincerely appreciate your tireless efforts to win and your dedication to this community and the fan base. There are so many talented people throughout this organization, and because of that, the Vikings will continue to be a special place in the future.
“Finally, I want to thank Zygi & Mark Wilf and the entire Wilf family for believing in me and consistently providing the resources for us to be successful as a football operations staff. It is not common in the NFL to be in a position for this long, which goes to show how this ownership group believes in stability and supports their leaders.
“While today is emotional, I wish the Minnesota Vikings and Vikings fans nothing but future success.”
Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf also released a statement:
“This morning we met with Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer to notify them we will be moving in a different direction at the general manager and head coach positions in 2022.
“We appreciate Rick and Mike’s commitment to the team’s on-field success, their passion for making a positive impact in our community and their dedication to players, coaches and staff. While these decisions are not easy, we believe it is time for new leadership to elevate our team so we can consistently contend for championships. We wish both Rick and Mike and their families only the best.
“Our comprehensive search for a new general manager and head coach will begin immediately and will be led internally. We are determined to have sustained success and bring Vikings fans the Super Bowl championships they expect and deserve.”
Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman (credit: Getty Images)
In an afternoon press conference, co-owner Mark Wilf called it a “difficult day” and shied away from calling the move a “full rebuild,” saying that there is a strong foundation for success.
“I do feel we can be a contender in 2022 and that’s how I view it,” he said.
The organization is not using a search firm for the hiring process. Mark Wilf said he believes that the organization has a high collective football IQ and the resources to find a suitable candidate for head coach and general manager.
“We are a place where coaches and GMs want to be,” Mark Wilf said.
Right now, only Zimmer and Spielman have been removed. Other coaching staff under contract remain at this point.
The Vikings finished the season 8-9, with a 4-2 record in the NFC North.
Zimmer joined the Vikings in 2014, and led them to a 72-56-1 record across eight seasons. His win percentage is the third-best in Vikings history behind Bud Grant and Denny Green. The team did not get above .500 at any point in either of Zimmer’s last two seasons as coach.
Spielman had been with the team since 2006, and held the general manager title since 2012. He was the man who hired Zimmer in 2014.
READ MORE: Vikings’ 1st Round Pick, 2022 Opponents Set
The year before Zimmer arrived, the Vikings defense finished last in points allowed and second-to-last in yards allowed. Zimmer, one of the most respected defensive minds in football, immediately turned the unit around, and they finished 11th and 14th in those categories his first year. In the 2017-18 season, they finished first in both categories. The past two years, however, the defense has fallen off a cliff, finishing 29th and 27th in yards and points allowed last year and 24th and 30th this season.
The Vikings won the NFC North twice under Zimmer, and never finished last in the division.
In the 2017-2018 season, Zimmer’s best year, the Vikings went 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship game, where they lost 38-7 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Zimmer’s overall playoff record was 2-3, with both wins coming against the New Orleans Saints.
During his tenure, the Vikings had seven different quarterbacks start games. They also had six different offensive coordinators in his eight seasons.
Before coming to the Vikings, Zimmer was the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati for six seasons. He spent seven seasons as the DC in Dallas before that, with a year in Atlanta in between.
Spielman’s first draft as GM netted the Vikings future Hall of Fame safety Harrison Smith, currently the longest-tenured Viking. Under his watch, the Vikings’ first rounders were hit and miss. In addition to Smith, he drafted Anthony Barr, Xavier Rhodes and Justin Jefferson. He also missed on players like Matt Kalil, Laquon Treadwell and Mike Hughes.
Beyond the first round, Spielman and the Vikings’ scouting department found several productive players. Stefon Diggs was a fifth-round pick before emerging as one of the NFL’s best receivers. Defensive end Danielle Hunter, a third-rounder, was a premier pass rusher before being sidelined by injuries the past two years.
Spielman also made one of the greatest undrafted free agent signings in team history when he brought on wide receiver Adam Thielen out of Minnesota State Mankato.
The move Spielman will most likely be remembered for, though, is signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed contract following the Vikings’ nearly miraculous 2017-18 season.
On the strength of that playoff run, feeling they were just a quarterback away from a championship, Spielman and the Vikings gave Cousins a three-year, $84 million contract. Two years later, they would give him a two-year, $66 million extension.
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Since signing Cousins, the Vikings have gone 33-31-1 in four seasons, missing the playoffs three times.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A second student has died this year as a result of a school-related COVID-19 infection, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Three students have died due to COVID-19 infections related to schools since the pandemic began, and 18 staff members have died in total.
“This is tragic news and I hope Minnesotans can pull together and do all we can to prevent another student from dying of this virus,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota.
Information identifying the student was not released in the MDH report.
Data also shows that over 47,000 PreK-12 students have tested positive for the virus in connection to attending school.
On Thursday, Minnesota’s latest positivity rate continued to tick up, reaching 11.9%, the highest figure reported as of Dec. 1, due to data lag. It’s the highest the positivity rate has been since last December.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Two men have been charged in connection with a mass shooting at a St. Paul bar over the weekend that left one woman dead and 14 people injured.
Charges were filed Monday in Ramsey County against 33-year-old Terry Brown and 29-year-old Devondre Phillips. Brown faces one count of second-degree murder and 11 counts of second-degree attempted murder. Phillips faces twelve counts of second-degree attempted murder.
If convicted of the charges, the men face decades behind bars.
MORE: 3 Men Arrested After ‘Hellish’ Mass Shooting At St. Paul Bar Leaves 1 Dead, 14 Injured
According to a criminal complaint, Phillips fired the first shot just after midnight Sunday inside the Seventh Street Truck Park. He shot a man twice in the stomach. The victim was later arrested by police; he has yet to be officially charged.
As chaos broke out inside the bar, Phillips fired another shot at Brown, and Brown fired back. A gun battle erupted between the two.
Marquisha Wiley, 27, was caught in the crossfire. She died at the scene. Investigators say that surveillance video showed that Brown shot her in the back as he was shooting at Phillips.
When police officers arrived at the bar, they found a man carrying Wiley over his shoulder outside. As first responders got her on the ground to aid her, Wiley’s pulse faded in a matter of seconds. Medics loaded her into an ambulance and she was pronounced dead.
MORE: Woman Killed In Mass Shooting, Marquisha Wiley, Remembered As ‘Bright, Joyful And Supportive’
The other victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Their injuries range from grazes to gunshot wounds to their arms, legs and feet; they are expected to survive. Good Samaritans worked with police to help victims as paramedics drove to the scene.
Hours after the shooting on Sunday, police announced that three suspects were in custody, being treated at a hospital for injuries suffered during the shootout. One of the suspects was the first man hit. Phillips and Brown both suffered gunshot wounds.
In an interview with investigators, Brown said that Phillips shot at him first and he pulled out a gun and shot back. He said that he and Phillips are in a dispute over allegations of domestic abuse.
Additionally, Brown acknowledged that he is ineligible to carry a firearm, the complaint states. According to prosecutors, Brown has a lengthy criminal history that includes convictions for aggravated robbery, drug possession and domestic abuse.
Police have said this in an open and active investigation, and more arrests are possible.
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St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter calls the shooting heartbreaking and traumatic — saying it’s why the city has authorized $1 million in police overtime to this specific area.
“One of the things that we’re seeing is that our police officers can’t do it alone. This is about a community effort. That’s why we say we have to invest in people in new ways, we have to invest in areas in new ways and continue to push the ball on this expansive, coordinated approach of public safety,” Carter said.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a statement that his heart goes out to the friends and family of Marquisha Wiley. He added that the police and community need to work together to prevent and intervene in these situations before they occur.
Police say the motive for the shooting is still unclear. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Paul Police Department.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A woman is dead, 14 people are injured and three men are in custody after a mass shooting early Sunday morning near downtown St. Paul.
Dozens of gunshots erupted just after midnight at the Seventh Street Truck Park, just down the block from Xcel Energy Center. Police said multiple 911 callers “frantically begged for help” moments after the attack.
MORE: ‘Horrific’: Minnesota Officials React To Mass Shooting At St. Paul Bar
A person close to the woman who died identified her as Marquisha Wiley, and described her as a “magnetic” young woman who was “bright, joyful and supportive.”
The other victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment, and are expected to survive. Good Samaritans worked with police to help victims while paramedics made it to the scene.
(credit: CBS)
“I can only describe it as hellish,” St. Paul police spokesperson Steve Linders said. “I think about the young woman who died. One minute she’s having a good time, the next minute she’s lying in her friends’ arms who are trying to save her life, and she didn’t make it. I can’t think of anything worse.”
Police Chief Todd Axtell tweeted Sunday that he spoke with the family of the woman who was killed and they are “absolutely devastated.”
“We will bring justice to the victims,” he promised at the time.
The Preliminary Investigation
Three suspects are in custody. WCCO has learned at the time of the shooting one of them had an active warrant for his arrest. According to documents, he failed to show up for a sentencing hearing in May. The suspects have not yet been charged, so WCCO is not naming them. Two are convicted felons with lengthy criminal histories.
Investigators worked for more than 16 hours, combing through the complicated scene. WCCO has learned forensic teams collected casings from the many shots fired, documented where the bullets struck walls and objects. They also gathered evidence like clothing and dusted for fingerprints. Investigators obtained surveillance video from cameras in the area. It’s an expansive and complicated scene that required multiple St. Paul Police Department homicide investigators.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher was also at the scene Sunday afternoon. He told WCCO the motive for the shooting is still unclear.
“It’s a horrifying, tragic event,” Fletcher said. “It appears to be anger, hostility, argument, fight and gun.”
Fletcher stopped in the area Friday night during his “Live on Patrol” segment on Facebook. His dash cam captured large groups of people in the area, and he expressed his concern.
“We’ve never had any shots fired here, I hope we never do. But with this volume it’s going to happen at some point right? It’s becoming a very popular place,” Fletcher said on Facebook Friday.
(credit: CBS)
Police call this an open and active investigation. It’s possible more people were involved, so more arrests are possible.
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office said if they get the case from police by Monday morning, that charges could come as soon as Monday afternoon.
Witnesses Recount The Shootout And Aftermath
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, and were still processing what happened hours later. Demarco Percy dropped to the floor with everyone else inside Seventh Street Truck Park.
“It was just gunshots. It was like maybe 10 shots,” Percy said. “As you look around, everyone’s on the ground like, ‘I’m hit! I’m hit!’ There’s a couple people who were hit. You’re kind of checking yourself making sure you’re OK.”
Demarco says Marquisha Wiley was shot right next to him. In those unspeakable moments, Demarco’s mind went immediately to his three young children.
“I was thankful. Two inches to the left, two inches to the right, it could’ve been someone else. I’m thankful it wasn’t me,” he said. “Prayers to the family that lost someone, and prayers to the people sitting in the hospital right now.”
MORE: ‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’: St. Paul Business Owners Worry Mass Shooting Will Drag Down Recent Gains
Unable to sleep last night, one thing at least brought some solace to Demarco is that three suspects have been arrested.
“My partner has been here 14 to 15 years. She can’t think of anything like this happening in St. Paul,” Demarco said. “People deserve justice. Someone lost their life, so hopefully they’re able to sort it out and decide who was the one that got the killing done so they can lock that person up for a long time.”
Demarco was here celebrating a friend’s birthday, but he says he’s now questioning whether he’ll continue going out at night in this area.
Marquisha Wiley (credit: CBS)
Jack Larson, 22, said he came to the bar for fun with friends on what felt like a normal Saturday night. He remembered how quickly it all happened — he said it felt like it transpired in just 30 seconds. He told WCCO he heard five or six gunshots, then a pause before more gunfire. He came back Sunday afternoon looking to retrieve his phone that he left inside.
One person next to him was shot in the leg, and he was positioned in a way that “blocked the bullet from hitting me in the chest or the head,” Larson said. He recalled his friend applying pressure to another individual shot. He left the bar with blood that was not his own stained on his clothes.
“I’m shook up, I’m not going to lie. It’s not every day that you’re in a bar that gets shot up,” Larson said. “I’m just, I’m thankful that I’m OK. All my friends are OK. I’m trying to swallow it all — it’s still fresh.”
Lucas Knutson lives above Seventh Street Truck Bar, and said he was about to go to sleep when he heard gunshots below. He looked outside his window to find people flooding the street. He recalled seeing four or five people crying for help as they carried out a woman to an ambulance.
“It was kind of surreal,” Knutson said. “I’ve never seen anything like that in real life outside of TV.
Knutson said the area is pretty peaceful, and doesn’t usually experience violence like this.
WATCH: Full Police Press Conference On Shooting At St. Paul Bar
Mayor Melvin Carter released a statement via Twitter.
pic.twitter.com/aGWvm6g5kP
— Mayor Melvin Carter (@MayorCarter) October 10, 2021
“Our community is devastated by the shocking scenes from last night,” Carter said. “As our Saint Paul officers work to bring those responsible for these senseless acts into custody, our work to build more proactive and comprehensive public safety strategies is more urgent than ever. We will never accept violence in our community.”
MORE: ‘We Need Cops’: Republican Candidates For Governor Decry Defund The Police Movement After St. Paul Bar Shooting
Gov. Tim Walz called the shooting “horrific.”
“Minnesota is keeping in our hearts the family of the young woman killed and the 14 others injured, and the St. Paul neighborhood reeling from this senseless gun violence,” Walz said. “We’re working in close coordination with local law enforcement as they apprehend those responsible.”
Police would like anyone who has information about the shooting to call 651-266-5650
This is the second mass shooting in the Twin Cities in less than six months. Back in May, 10 people were shot at the Monarch nightclub in downtown Minneapolis. Two of them died, including a University of St. Thomas student.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — One person has died and more than a dozen others are hurt after a shootout inside a bar on the 200 block of West Seventh Street in St. Paul.
The shooting started just after midnight early Sunday morning at the Seventh Street Truck Park. Police said multiple 911 callers “frantically begged for help” moments after the attack.
(credit: St. Paul Police Department)
One woman who police said was in her 20s died. Fourteen other people were taken to area hospitals for treatment. All of them are expected to survive.
“I can only describe it as hellish,” St. Paul police spokesperson Steve Linders said. “I think about the young woman who died. One minute she’s having a good time, the next minute she’s lying in her friends’ arms who are trying to save her life, and she didn’t make it. I can’t think of anything worse.”
Good Samaritans worked with police to help victims while paramedics made it to the scene.
Police said early Sunday that no suspects have been arrested, but preliminary information indicates there were several shooters. A motive has yet to be determined.
“My heart breaks for the woman who was killed, her loved ones and everyone else who was in that bar this morning,” said St. Paul Chief of Police Todd Axtell. “In an instant, they found themselves caught in a hellish situation. I want them to know that we have the best investigators in the country, and we won’t stop until we find the people responsible for this madness. We will do our part to hold them accountable.”
Police would like anyone who has information about the shooting to call 651-266-5650.
Investigators have not yet publicly identified the woman who died. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy and release her name and cause of death.
Video from YouTube channel Minnesota News Now showed the aftermath outside of the Seventh Street Truck Park.
WARNING: This video from an eyewitness contains material that some viewers might find disturbing.
Mayor Melvin Carter released a statement via Twitter.
pic.twitter.com/aGWvm6g5kP
— Mayor Melvin Carter (@MayorCarter) October 10, 2021
“Our community is devastated by the shocking scenes from last night,” Carter said. ” As our Saint Paul officers work to bring those responsible for these senseless acts into custody, our work to build more proactive and comprehensive public safety strategies is more urgent than ever. We will never accept violence in our community.”
