18-year-old falls 20 stories inside abandoned Minneapolis grain elevator, suffers severe injuries

A teenager was severely injured Monday evening after falling nearly 20 stories inside an abandoned grain elevator in Minneapolis.

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.

One of them, an 18-year-old, fell onto an elevated platform and suffered life-threatening injuries. 

Minneapolis fire crews needed to use a ladder truck to reach the teen and provide medical care, authorities say. 

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. 

Minneapolis Public Information Officer Garrett Parten said police have responded to upwards of a dozen calls to the silos this year.

"Something terrible in the elevator happened. It's an issue that we knew was going to happen," neighbor Vox Payne said. "We've talked about it plenty with the city, and with other neighbors, and with the police, and we kept warning them something terrible is going to happen, we know something is. And sure enough, the first thing we thought of when we heard those screams were the teenagers are up there. Something bad happened."

Parten said last year there were roughly 80 incidents of "urban exploring" reported in the First and Second Precincts. So far this year, there have been about 100, he said.

"It's sad because the reality is, this is an individual out having fun, seeking adventure, and made a bad decision that resulted in life-changing injuries. But while they are seeking fun and adventure, what they're doing is illegal and extremely dangerous," Parten said.

Charges for similar instances could range from misdemeanor trespassing to felony damage to property, Parten added.

The building changed ownership three years ago. 

"Our thoughts are with the young man injured and his family and hope everyone will join us in holding them in their prayers. The investigation into what happened and why is ongoing and we're committed to assisting it in any way possible," a spokesperson for the property owner, Checkerboard LLC, said.