Uptown shooting caught on camera, calls to curb violence

Late Saturday night a man who lives in Uptown, and did not want his full name used, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he witnessed a shootout near the corner of West Franklin and South Lyndale Avenues and also captured it on a doorbell video camera.

Joss J. told KSTP he was watching television in his townhome and heard an argument outside and turned his doorbell video camera on. Moments later, he heard multiple gunshots and said there were at least two people firing guns.

“Next thing you know, it was just bang, bang, bang and I rolled off the couch and kind of sought cover,” said Joss J. “Gunshots just started happening, probably 20 to 25 gunshots between the two groups of individuals and at that point, I called police who responded to the incident.”

Joss J. said he and his fiance were shocked by what they witnessed and said they now feel less safe in the neighborhood since moving there in September.

“We’ve actually been out a lot since moving here, visiting the establishments around here, and it’s been pretty good,” said Joss J. “But, now that’s slowing down a bit and we don’t even walk to those places very much anymore and it’s more like we just stay home now.”

Minneapolis now has 91 homicides which is the city’s highest total in 25 years and there have been more than 500 carjackings reported by the Minneapolis Police Department since the first of the year.

Bishop Richard Howell, Shiloh Temple Minneapolis, told KSTP he has seen things in recent weeks slowly starting to turn around for the better, but added he would like to see the city commit more resources toward at-risk kids in higher-crime neighborhoods.

“We need something on Broadway on the Northside for kids that is a more positive thing in the neighborhood,” said Howell. “We need a youth center, or bowling alley, or movie house and things like that which will kind of give kids an opportunity to enjoy their community without being violent.”

St. Paul has also seen an increase in overall violent crime with police records showing 35 homicides this year — the highest number in the city’s history. There has also been a record number of people injured by gunfire, according to St. Paul Police Department data.

Rev. Runney Patterson, of New Hope Baptist Church on the city’s Eastside, told KSTP his continued efforts with the 21 Days of Peace initiative at targeted crime hot spots has been helping to ease gun violence but Patterson said more needs to be done in St. Paul.

“We need to open up these rec centers and we need to continue to reach out to these kids who are not bad people at all,” said Patterson. “We need to make sure there’s not only after-hours programs but even after-midnight programs because something needs to be available where we can put these kids in a safe space.”