MINNEAPOLIS — A record reward is now being offered in the unsolved cases of three young children shot in Minneapolis earlier this year.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) announced Monday that the anti-crime organizations Spotlight on Crime and CrimeStoppers have teamed up to offer up to $180,000 in rewards for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects in the shootings of 10-year-old Ladavionne Garrett Jr., 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith and 6-year-old Aniya Allen. Garrett Jr. remains hospitalized, while Ottoson-Smith and Allen did not survive their wounds.
Minneapolis police say they have been working the cases hard, but at this point no arrests have been made. A press release from the BCA asserts that all three shootings were the results of gun violence, allegedly among rival gangs, and the children were unintended targets. It's hoped that the large reward fund will motivate someone who has information on the shootings to come forward.
The BCA, Minneapolis police and the families of Ladavionne, Trinity and Aniya shared details of the reward and the status of the investigations at a news conference Monday afternoon. You can watch the full event below.
A billboard campaign supported by Clear Channel Outdoor will also feature the children's cases and the reward fund, which is believed to be the largest in Minnesota history.
In May, officials announced a $30,000 reward fund in partnership with CrimeStoppers and Minneapolis businesses.