Minneapolis, MN - Two people, including a police officer, were killed and six others were injured in a mass shooting on Thursday evening in Minneapolis. The suspect was also killed in the incident.
Officer Jamal Mitchell of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) was identified as one of the fatalities. He was attempting to provide medical assistance to two men who had been injured when he was ambushed by the gunman. According to city officials, Mitchell had been with the department for less than two years.
Mitchell, 28, earned an award for rescuing an elderly couple from a burning building in 2023 and was honored with a procession and remembered as a hero after his death. He was posthumously recognized as a hero by Minneapolis city officials.
The incident occurred on the 2100 block of Blaisdell Avenue South, in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis. The gunman opened fire on Mitchell while he was trying to help two shooting victims outside an apartment building. A second police officer was also wounded but has been released from the hospital.
The suspect's identity has not been released, and it is unclear what motivated the attack. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is leading the investigation into the shooting.
Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis released a statement expressing his condolences to Mitchell's family and loved ones, as well as to the families of the other victims. He described Mitchell as a 'courageous hero' who made 'the ultimate sacrifice to protect and save the lives of others.'
The shooting in Minneapolis comes just days after a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed at an elementary school. The incident has once again raised concerns about gun violence in the United States.
