Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune - Police investigators examined the interior of the Seward Market in Minneapolis on Wednesday night after three people were shot to death there.
The slayings bring the Minneapolis homicide count to four in the first six days of 2010.
By VINCE TUSS and MARY LYNN SMITH, Star Tribune staff writers
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Minneapolis police were searching for whoever shot three men to death Wednesday night in an apparent failed robbery at a south Minneapolis market, shocking residents of what a police spokesman called "a pretty good neighborhood" and bringing the city's 2010 homicide total to four just one week into the year.
Police did not identify the victims at Seward Market and Halal Meats, on E. Franklin and 25th Avenues, but Abdirizak Bihi, director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, said they were Somali immigrants, cousins who had pooled their money to buy the market.
"They come from a well-known family in the Somali community. A hard-working family," Bihi said. "This is very shocking."
The shooting took place at 7:45 p.m. at the market, frequented by residents of the Seward neighborhood's Somali immigrant community. The three were pronounced dead at the store, Palmer said. For a time afterward, one body could be seen lying in the doorway.
Police Chief Tim Dolan, talking with the crowd gathered near 26th Avenue S., said people were inside the store at the time of the shooting and got out safely. He believed the victims were Somalis.
Investigators hope to glean clues from security cameras in the store, Dolan said.
Palmer called the area "a pretty good neighborhood," adding, "I wouldn't characterize it as one with a lot of challenges."
For much of Wednesday evening, police blocked off E. Franklin Avenue, routing cars onto side streets. Neighbors reported that police officers with dogs were searching alleys after the shootings.
Word spread quickly through the Twin Cities' Somali community and scores of anxious people gathered near the market to seek information.
Among them was Nor Gula, who was almost home when he got a call about the shootings. He turned around and headed toward the market.
"I heard that two of our friends were killed, but I'm not sure," he said.
Shortly after the shootings, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak arrived to talk with police and citizens. He urged them to come forward with any information they might have or hear. "We're trying to do our very best, and we'll know more in the morning," he told those gathered.
Six days, four homicides
Minneapolis' last triple homicide, which sprang from a domestic dispute, was in 2004.
Wednesday's deaths were Minneapolis' second, third and fourth homicides of the year.
"It's certainly not the way we wanted to start the year," Palmer said. "We're hopeful our investigators will bring this to a quick conclusion."
Last year, Minneapolis had 19 homicides, 78 fewer than the record of 97 set in 1995.
The first homicide of 2010 occurred Saturday night, when Dontae D. Johnson, 31, of Champlin, was shot to death in the Webber-Camden neighborhood. Police found him lying in the street in the 3800 block of N. 6th Street after receiving a report of several shots fired. No one has been arrested in that case.
'Very, very tragic'
"This is very, very tragic, and beyond my comprehension that there's this level of violence in the community," said Omar Jamal, a community activist who has overseen the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in St. Paul.
"We don't know what to make out of it," he said. "Somehow, if it involved gangs, then people could somewhat understand this. But it now looks like ... law-abiding Somali citizens are falling victim to this violence. ... Makes me feel like no one is safe out there. ... This is completely out of character for the community."
As word of the shooting spread, Bihi said a woman called him to express sorrow.
"She said it's unfortunate that we fled from violence and here we are trying to make our dreams come true. And then the violence follows us here."
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