Teyah Parent, features editor
A shooting at a high-rise apartment building in Loring Park on Sept. 2 left three dead and several others injured, including three Minneapolis police officers. The incident occurred at Shoreline Plaza, formerly known as Loring Towers, at 15 E. Grant St., just south of downtown Minneapolis.
The shooting began just after 4:00 P.M. Wednesday afternoon at Shoreline Plaza, formerly known as Loring Towers, at 15 E. Grant St. Officers arrived at the building and entered while gunfire was still being reported inside.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department and reporting from the Minnesota Star Tribune, officers encountered multiple victims as they moved through the building. Three Minneapolis police officers were injured during the response. Two were shot, while a third officer sustained another injury. Several civilians were also transported to Hennepin Healthcare.
The two civilians killed were identified as 63-year-old Dale Henry Spry and 61-year-old Muse Afrah, both residents of the apartment building. The suspected shooter was identified by authorities as 35-year-old Carlton Johnson II, who also died during the incident.
MPR News reported that Johnson had been facing eviction from Shoreline Plaza and that tensions between him, other residents and building management had escalated in the months leading up to the shooting. Court records show that the building’s owner filed an eviction complaint against Johnson in June.
New information from the Minnesota Star Tribune after the shooting indicates that there were warning signs immediately before the attack. According to reporting based on emails and other records, Johnson sent a message to apartment staff the night before the shooting that included a threat of violence. The message came as Johnson faced an ongoing dispute with building management and an impending eviction.
Residents had also previously reported concerning behavior. “MPR News” reported that police had been called to the building over allegations involving Johnson, including gun threats and the display of a firearm.
Despite those previous reports, Johnson was not charged in connection with an earlier incident. Authorities have said investigators did not have sufficient evidence at the time to pursue criminal charges. The circumstances surrounding the previous complaints are now receiving renewed attention as investigators work to understand how the shooting unfolded. Authorities have continued examining Johnson’s history, the reports made before the shooting and the sequence of events that led to the deaths and injuries.
The incident raises broader questions about how communities and authorities respond when residents report concerning or threatening behavior. The FBI is assisting the Minneapolis Police Department with the investigation, but investigators have not publicly established a definitive motive for the shooting, and it remains unclear what role, if any, Johnson’s previous interactions with residents or law enforcement played in the events of Sept. 2.
The incident raises broader questions about how communities and authorities respond when residents report concerning or threatening behavior.
Teyah Parent
As the investigation continues, the impact of the shooting extends beyond the immediate scene. Residents, first responders and members of the surrounding Minneapolis community are left to process the deaths and injuries, while questions remain about the events that preceded the violence.