Watch live: Suspected gunman in downtown Minneapolis mass shooting was facing eviction, court records show
The man suspected of killing two people and injuring six others in a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex Wednesday was facing eviction after a string of incidents including assault and allegedly showing a gun to apartment management, according to court documents.
Multiple law enforcement sources told CBS News that the suspect is 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson. Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said during a news conference that police were familiar with the suspected shooter but did not confirm their identity. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources told WCCO.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will provide an update on the investigation Thursday afternoon. Minneapolis city officials will then provide an update to the conditions of the injured officers at 3 p.m.
How to watch:
- What: BCA updates on Minneapolis mass shooting investigation
- When: 2 p.m. Thursday
- How to watch: You can watch live in the player above or on YouTube.
Johnson signed a lease at the Shoreline Plaza complex, formerly known as Loring Towers, on 15 East Grant Street in March 2025. On June 16, a law firm representing the apartment sent him a letter informing him that his lease would be terminated on June 29.
The letter listed six incidents starting in January, including one in March in which Johnson allegedly "assaulted a resident on the premises."
On June 11, Johnson entered the management office and openly displayed a firearm to staff members, the eviction notice states. Around that same time, he made multiple statements to residents that he had obtained a new gun. Two days later, the letter says Johnson flashed his gun to people on a nearby sidewalk.
According to court filings, Johnson contacted the apartment management and asked for a second chance. A letter sent by the law firm informs him not to display a gun to others on the building premises and comply with Minnesota conceal and carry laws.
The eviction complaint says Johnson "continued to breach the lease and last chance directive." On June 19, Johnson made "concerning verbal statements" about using a gun to a security officer while lifting up his shirt and showing his firearm. Then on June 25, Johnson walked around the block with his firearm visible and brandished a firearm at another resident in the common area.
The complaint says police were called, and Johnson attempted to bribe staff to tell him who called police. According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, police said Johnson, who had a legal permit to carry, displayed the weapon but it did not leave his waistband. Officials determined he could not be charged due to insufficient evidence.
Sources told WCCO that Johnson had been evicted from his apartment earlier Wednesday. Court documents also show Johnson was scheduled for a trial and had a hearing on Sept. 11.
Authorities have not confirmed the identities of the two people who were killed. Of the six who were injured, three were police officers. One of the officers was in surgery Wednesday evening after being shot twice in the stomach. One officer was shot in the leg, and the other was being evaluated for a non-life-threatening injury.
City officials said four additional officers "experienced adverse effects" after they were exposed to "an unknown airborne substance."
"Our officers have shown that they are willing and they do respond and run towards gunfire when others are running from it, and it is absolutely horrific," Peterson said at a press conference.
When pressed about what kind of prior interaction police had with the suspected shooter, or why he hadn't been arrested, Peterson said he did not have those details.
Documents show Johnson was also the subject of a restraining order. The 27-year-old mother of his child said that between March 6, 2023 and March 10, 2023, he had sent over 120 text messages with "vulgar insults and threats" from 10 different phone numbers.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
Sexual Assault Resources
- (SOS – Ramsey County)
- Sexual Violence Center (SVC – Hennepin County)
- Aurora Center (U of MN)
- 360 Communities (Dakota County)
- Hope Center (Rice County)
- Canvas Health (Washington County)
- Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
General Sexual Assault Websites:
