No charges yet after break-in at Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis

The people who were busted after breaking into Minneapolis' Basilica of St. Mary on Saturday were likely "urban exploring."

A city leader worries that urban exploration is a troubling trend that's getting worse.

Days after police arrested seven people, three teenagers and four minors, for allegedly breaking into the religious landmark, images posted to TikTok hint at why they could have been there. On Tuesday, Minneapolis police said in a written statement, "Urban exploration is dangerous and illegal" and that "their release doesn't mean the case is closed."

Meanwhile, urban exploration continues to plague police across the Metro. In August, an 18-year-old was critically hurt after falling 20 stories from a decommissioned grain elevator in south Minneapolis.

Earlier this month, four teenagers were accused of breaking into a closed conference center in Chaska, Minnesota. Also this month, a suspected urban explorer broke a pipe and caused more than $100,000 in water damage to a downtown Minneapolis high-rise apartment.

"It's every couple of weeks or so," Adam Duininck said.

Duininck is the CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council. He says it's spread as young people seek a thrill.

"We had a couple of high-profile incidents here in downtown recently," he said. "My plea is that if you're thinking about doing this sort of thing, please don't."

Duininck added, "Myself, as a parent, or other parents out there, don't get that phone call that, hey, your son or daughter is in the emergency room because they were in a building walking on scaffolding or screwing around in an elevator shaft they shouldn't have been in."

WCCO reached out to the young people who were arrested this weekend but has yet to hear back.

The Basilica of St. Mary is currently undergoing a $50 million renovation.