Over the weekend, two separate shootings at Minneapolis homeless encampments resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to three others, prompting police to consider a possible connection between the incidents. The first shooting, which occurred on Saturday, resulted in one death and two injuries. The following day, another shooting at a different encampment left two dead and one critically injured. Police have not ruled out the possibility that the two shootings are related.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey attributed the increase in violence near homeless encampments to the prevalence of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. He stated that while overall violent crime is decreasing in the city, violence in or around homeless encampments is escalating. According to data from the CDC, fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in 2023.
The victims of the shootings were identified as Deven Leonard Caston, Louis Lemons Jr., and Christopher Washington. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the shootings as “outrageous” and emphasized the need for residents of encampments to accept available resources to address issues such as narcotics and mental health. No arrests have been made in connection with the shootings, and the investigation is ongoing.
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