Carlton Neal Johnson II – Photo courtesy of @GrageDustin
According to a statement release by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), police received a 911 call about a shooting at the Loring Towers at 15 East Grant St. in downtown at 4:30 pm on Wednesday. Officers arrived less than two minutes later and encountered at least one gunshot victim in the lobby area before hearing additional shots coming from somewhere on an upper floor. Officers made their way to the ninth floor where they encountered an unknown “haze” which obscured their view. Gunfire erupted and officers exchanged fire with the shooter. Two officers were struck, one in the abdomen and one in the leg. A third officer was injured, but the cause and extent of that injury is unknown. Fortunately, all the officers’ injuries are reportedly non-life threatening.
Multiple agencies including the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Metro Transit Police Department, and the Plymouth Police Department sent officers to assist. The scene was eventually secured and the MPD reported that a total of three people, including the shooter, were killed, and six people, including the three MPD officers, were injured. It is not yet known whether the suspect was killed by police or took his own life.
Due to the use of deadly force by MPD officers, the MPD requested that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) conduct an independent investigation into the event.
Multiple news agencies have identified the shooter as Carlton Neal Johnson II, 35. Johnson was the subject of an eviction case being litigated in Hennepin County District Court. He was scheduled for trial on September 11th. Court records indicate that management at Loring Towers filed a complaint with the court in June seeking an eviction order after Johnson had reportedly threatened people with a firearm, including a security guard working in the building. It is unclear if any criminal charges were pending at the time of the mass shooting.
Historical court records indicate 34 previous criminal and traffic cases involving Johnson dating back to 2011. These cases include two domestic assault related arrests, damage to property, and minor drug possession charges. Though traffic offenses are considered minor, the extent of Johnson’s disregard for the law sheds light on his demeanor. For example, between 2013 and 2018 he racked up 14 individual convictions for driving with a suspended license.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the shooting began after a domestic related argument involving Johnson. The BCA’s investigation will confirm as many details as possible – most of these case files become public after the investigation is complete. Those that are public can be found at the BCA’s use of force investigations webpage.
