Former urban explorer warns of dangers after teen falls at Minneapolis grain elevator
They call themselves urban explorers: teens and young adults who enter abandoned buildings and other restricted locations looking for unique views to share online.
On Monday, an 18-year-old was seriously injured after falling onto an elevated platform. According to Minneapolis police, a group of young people was trespassing inside the decommissioned Checkerboard Grain Elevator near 38th Street and Hiawatha Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Three of the group's members were 16 to 17 years old, while the other three ranged in age from 18 to 20.
Neighbors and workers in the area said the 18-year-old was filming a video for social media. Residents say they've made hundreds of calls over the years to try to get the city to do something about the building, which frequently sees so-called "urban explorers" climbing on it.
Miles, who used to explore abandoned places himself, says he understands why people are drawn to these buildings.
"These buildings are, you know, living history books," Miles said. "A lot of people find that very, very interesting."
Miles said he once explored the same abandoned grain elevator where the teenager was hurt. He said he stopped because the climb wasn't worth the content.
He believes social media has changed the motivation for some people, with many chasing views and clicks and not necessarily caring about their safety.
"If you really want to go into an abandoned building like this that bad, just ask the owner for permission," he said.
Miles believes guided tours can reduce risk among urban explorers.
"I believe personally that if we don't want more accidents like this to happen or more crimes like this happen, we should give these people who are so interested in trying to enjoy this hobby opportunities to see these types of buildings through a proper way that's legal," he said.
The trend also hit Holy Cross Catholic Church. Video shared with WCCO shows one person trying to force open the door and another clip shows people inside.
Minneapolis police say so far this year they've investigated 100 cases involving urban explorers and have already made 15 arrests.
Police say charges could range from misdemeanor trespassing to felony damage to property.
