BCA names 2 residents killed, 2 officers injured in Minneapolis mass shooting that began during custody exchange

Minnesota law enforcement officials identified the two people who were killed when a gunman opened fire in a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex Wednesday, as well as two of the officers who were shot.

The two victims were identified as 61-year-old Muse Afrah and 63-year-old Dale Henry Spry. Both were residents of the Shoreline Plaza complex at 15 East Grant Street. 

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the two injured Minneapolis police officers as Joseph Michnowski and Yahye Ahmed. 

Michnowski, who has been with MPD for five years, underwent surgery Wednesday after he was shot twice in the stomach. He's still hospitalized as of Thursday and is expected to survive, according to Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson. 

Ahmed, who joined Minneapolis police a year and a half ago, was shot in the leg. He was released from the hospital Thursday.

A third officer was also injured by glass when he smashed the window of a locked squad car at the scene in order to disable its siren, according to Peterson.

The BCA said officer Liban Ibrahim discharged his firearm during the incident. He's been with the department since September 2024. Ibrahim is listed as one of the first responders to the Annunciation mass shooting last year where two children were killed. He had recently spoke to WCCO about that experience.

"Things happened so fast that I was just like all over the place trying to put my belt on, trying to grab my body cam, get in a squad and, you know, run over there. I just needed these kids to get into an ambulance," Ibrahim said. "It was a scene that I hoped to not see in my career in law enforcement."

Investigators are determining whether any other officers fired their weapons Wednesday.   

How the attack unfolded

The suspected gunman, 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson, died in an exchange of gunfire with police, according to Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said a preliminary autopsy determined Johnson died of multiple gunshot wounds with manner of death being homicide. Evans didn't know who fired their weapon first.

The shooting transpired in two parts, Evans said. The first happened outside of the building, during a custody exchange of Johnson's child. The child was able to escape unscathed, according to Evans. Johnson shot the mother of his child and then entered the building, where he shot two employees on the first floor. 

One of the employees is expected to recover, while the other, a woman, is in critical condition, according to Evans.  

Johnson then took the elevator to the ninth floor, where he lived alone in an apartment. While on the ninth floor, he shot Afrah and Spry, Evans said.

There was "no indication" that he was targeting the employees or the two residents specifically, Evans said.

Responding officers ran up the stairs to the ninth floor and encountered Johnson in the hallway. Johnson, who had a legal permit to carry, at some point fired his handgun, according to Evans, who added that Ahmed fired his weapon at some point in the exchange. 

Responding to reports of a mysterious "haze" in the building during the chaos, Mayor Jacob Frey said in a news conference Thursday it was likely due to an "exploded fire extinguisher."

Security footage from The Nicollet Diner and obtained by WCCO captured the audio of the first rounds of gunfire. Screaming follows a series of loud pops, and about 25 seconds later, there is a second volley of gunfire. Within minutes, police are seen arriving on the scene.       

According to court filings, Johnson was facing eviction at the apartment complex after flashing a gun to apartment management and assaulting a resident. Sources told WCCO that he had been evicted from his apartment earlier Wednesday.

An "extremely prompt response"

In Thursday's news conference, Peterson hailed his officers' "extremely prompt response" to the scene, with Frey noting it took them 2 minutes and 26 seconds to arrive at the scene following the first report of an active shooter.

"Our officers ran toward danger to protect others," Peterson said. "Our responsibility now is to take care of them."

Frey went on to say that the woman shot during the custody exchange "would not be alive right now" if it wasn't for officers quickly applying a tourniquet. 

"The level of heroism that took place yesterday is practically unrivaled," Frey said.

Evans says his agency will specifically investigate the officers' use of force.

The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis says anyone who wants to show support can do so by simply thanking an officer, or by making a monetary donation.

Previous shooting at apartment complex

Just last September, two men were shot and killed inside the same apartment complex. Police say they responded to a report of a fight, then found the two men dead and took another man into custody.  

Records from the city of Minneapolis show over 1,000 911 calls to that same address over the last five years. Peterson said issues at the property were improving.

"We worked very closely with building management and ownership to clean a lot of the issues up that we were having at this particular apartment building, and it was nowhere near what it used to be," said Peterson, who previously served as First Precinct inspector.

Some residents told WCCO they are packing up and looking for somewhere else to live.

"I know nothing personally happened to me but it's still terrifying," said Analicia Frandrup, 42. "Hopefully, get out of here before the end of the month."

Frandrup said she's lived at the complex for a couple years, adding she knew the suspect in this case and the men involved in the shooting last year.

WCCO is told residents are now back inside the building with the exception of those living on the ninth floor. 

The apartment complex's management sent a letter to residents Thursday, asking for patience and cooperation during the investigation, reading in part: "We understand this will be upsetting to read, but as this incident has had a serious and direct impact on the Shoreline Plaza community, we wanted to be proactive in sharing pertinent information."