Victim identified in fatal downtown Minneapolis shooting

Victim identified in fatal downtown Minneapolis shooting Photo: KSTP

Updated: July 08, 2019 10:23 AM

The victim who was shot and killed in a downtown Minneapolis shooting Sunday has now been identified.

According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, the man is identified as Joe Willie Ross, Jr., 24, from Shakopee. The cause of death is listed as a gunshot wound to the chest, resulting from a homicide.

The Minneapolis Police Department reports officers responded near the intersection of Washington Avenue and North First Avenue just before 2 a.m. Sunday on a report of gunshots. When authorities arrived, they found a man on the road, not breathing.

A sergeant attempted CPR but the victim died in the hospital a short time later.

Investigators initially believed the incident arose after a potential traffic-related incident, but they have since changed the course of their investigation, according to police.

Police have yet to locate a suspect in this case. Those with information about this incident are asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or dial 911.