MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis homeless encampment will be shut down after a man died early Thursday morning following a shooting at the encampment.
Minneapolis Police said officers were responding to a shooting near 15th Avenue South and South 6th Street around 6:30 a.m.
When officials arrived, they found an unconscious man with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
Officials said no arrests had been made.
On Friday, a group from East Gate Ministries was passing out food and water.
“Today, we’re just trying to let these people know that we care about them, we love them,” said Tomas Walek, a pastor with the church.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation was there, too, doing routine trash pickup
The department said they will close the site but haven't clarified when.
Outreach teams regularly working with the homeless said it's one of the largest encampments in Minneapolis.
In a statement, Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman, who represents this neighborhood, said he has been begging Governor Tim Walz to step in and for MnDOT to take action.
"My staff and I have been begging for action at this encampment for months,” the statement read.
Osman said MnDOT dragged its feet when it came to hearing community members' concerns.
The department said they've been working with organizations to get help to the people living there, and that the "highway right-of-way is not a safe place for human beings to live."
Avivo's homeless outreach teams said that with few housing options, it's a place for people to call home.
“It's good for the community for the folks staying there,” said Justin LaBeaux, the director for Avivo Village and Outreach. “And it's a good centralized place for service providers to come and offer resources as well.”
Hennepin County's Streets to Housing team says that people living in encampments can be very vulnerable to gun violence.
“In no way are they necessarily directly related to encampments,” said Erin Wixsten, who is a planning analyst with Hennepin County’s Office to End Homelessness. “Unfortunately, the folks that are occupying are living in these spaces are oftentimes susceptible to this violence, and oftentimes become victims of these crimes and ancillary activities.”
For more information and resources for people who are struggling with homelessness, click here.
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