Mass shooting in Minneapolis shows how wrong Ellison was to back abolishing MPD in 2021

September 2, 2026

…again.

The City of Minneapolis reports:

At approximately 4:36 p.m. today, MPD officers were dispatched to a shooting at 15 E Grant St. Initial information indicated that one person had been shot. Additional 911 callers then reported hearing further gunfire.

— City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) September 3, 2026

On that floor, officers encountered a haze that significantly limited their visibility. Three officers were injured, two of them were injured by gunfire.

— City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) September 3, 2026

The suspected shooter is deceased. Seven people were transported to Hennepin Healthcare. One of those individuals died at the hospital. There was one individual who died at the scene. More information will be shared as they become available.

— City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) September 3, 2026

These events illustrate the bravery of the average first responder, ordered into a potentially lethal situation, putting their lives on the line to protect the public.

They also illustrate just how insane the 2021 proposal to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) was and how horribly misguided Attorney General Keith Ellison was to give the proposal his full thorated support.

In November that year, “Question 2” went before the voters of Minneapolis. If passed, it would have abolished the MPD and replaced it with something called the “Department of Public Safety.” According to Ballotpedia, while “All of Mpls,” a political action committee opposed Question 2 received $1.59 million, “Yes 4 Minneapolis,” the group which proposed the ballot initiative:

…received $4.85 million, including $750,000 from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, $650,000 from Open Society Policy Center, and $625,000 from Reclaim the Block. Officials that supported the measure included U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-5) and Attorney General Keith Ellison (D).

Indeed, Keith Ellison, then serving as Attorney General of Minnesota, supported the effort to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department:

I’ve read Mpls Ballot Question 2 carefully, the proposed change to the City Charter to create a Department of Public Safety. I’ve weighed both what it actually does — and what it doesn’t do, despite what some say. I’ll say more about that soon.

— Keith Ellison (@keithellison) August 31, 2021

This year the residents of Mpls have asked for and can take that first step of action on the ballot. As a resident of Mpls where George Floyd’s murder sparked a national call for real reform, I will vote Yes for greater public safety & more human rights for all. #Yes4Minneapolis

— Keith Ellison (@keithellison) August 31, 2021

Fortunately, Minneapolitans knew better and Question 2 was defeated. Today’s shocking events and the heroic actions of those MPD officers show that they got it right when it mattered.

Source link