Southeast Minneapolis condo residents sound alarm over armed teens gathering in streets
Condo owners in a section of southeast Minneapolis say they are being held hostage by groups of teens with guns.
They say the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Second Street turns into a war zone when darkness falls Thursday through Sunday nights.
"They are stopping right there in the intersection; you just don't stop in the intersection. Look at all the people that are getting out of one car, going into other cars in this commercial parking along the front of Metal-Matic," said Ryan Bender.
Bender placed cameras outside his condo to catch the action: shootings and the use of fireworks. He estimates between 150 and 200 teens each night use the streets outside his condo as a playground for dangerous activities.
"Police come down. I text message them. I don't even call the police anymore; I send them text messages. And they will come and go on their microphone and yell at them, 'You can't be here, you can't park here, you got to go home.' Mind you, while they are saying that, a vehicle with girls hanging out the top of it drives through a stop sign, whip past them and yell at them," Bender said.
Bender says he heard the gunshots and saw the aftermath of the shooting that claimed the life of an 18-year-old, right outside his condo.
"I have footage of an officer coming by five minutes before that shooting on camera," he said.
Council Member Mike Rainville says he is aware of what is happening and is working with officials to see how to stop it. He plans to meet with Somali violence interrupters to see how they can help.
"I'm just trying to make my block safe for me and my dog and my condo owners," Bender said.
Law enforcement says this is not just an issue in Minneapolis; it's happening across the metro. St. Paul, Bloomington, Burnsville and Columbia Heights are all working to stop groups of teens from gathering and shattering the silence of metro area neighborhoods.
In a new statement, the Minneapolis Police Department said it is working with the University of Minnesota Police and Park Police to up patrols in that area. On top of that, the department says "additional resources will include mobile cameras, portable lighting, and traffic-management measures" and says their "goal is to address the behavior that is negatively impacting residents and businesses while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment."
