It's a violent start to the year in the Twin Cities with two children, just 10 and 11-years-old, shot inside of homes.
The kids are expected to survive, but the 10-year-boy is in critical condition after getting hit in the stomach just before midnight, according to St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster.
He says this isn't a random shooting and that it happened at a home on the 700 block of Sherburne Avenue. The investigation shows the suspect fired shots into the house from outside.
"Obviously we've had our share of incidents on New Year's Day, I just don't remember a situation similar to this or so soon after the first of the year," said Sgt. Ernster. "In my experience, I believe it’s pretty rare."
There then was a second shooting on Payne Avenue just after midnight.
When officers got there, they found a man with life-threatening gunshot wounds. St. Paul Fire medics transported him to Regions Hospital. A second victim also called and said he had been shot. The teenager had a graze wound to his leg and did not need any medical attention, according to Sgt. Ernster.
Numerous shell casings were located on scene, but officers are having a hard time finding anyone willing to tell them what occurred.
"They're very dogged and they're going to stay on this until they have those answers," said Sgt. Ernster.
The deadly shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. when police were called to a home on the 1600 block of Van Buren Avenue after a caller stated they wanted a group of people removed from a gathering there.
Sgt. Ernster says another caller said they were with an injured person and that they were taking them to the hospital before hanging up. Officers were then made aware of a vehicle that had arrived at United Hospital with an adult male victim with apparent gun shot injuries. The male victim was brought into the hospital but died as a result of his injuries.
"We know there were multiple people there, we know there were people that most likely have seen something, but have not spoken to our investigators and we would like to speak with them," said Sgt. Ernster.
This is the first homicide of 2024 in the St. Paul. There were 33 homicides in the city in 2023.
Investigators with the police department's homicide unit are currently working to determine what led to the shooting and who is responsible. Anyone with information is asked to call 651-266-5650.
In Minneapolis, police responded to a shooting and found an 11-year-old girl with a non-life threatening gunshot wound on New Year's Day. She was transported to Hennepin Healthcare.
In a statement, a Minneapolis Police spokesperson said that preliminary information indicates the girl was in her bedroom when she was struck by a bullet shot from the outside.
There have been no arrests in any of the cases so far.
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