Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Bad Robbery Gone Bad

More details emerge on the Uptown Minneapolis robbery/attempted murder as Michael Zebuhr clings to life. KSTP News confirms that the robbers are likely of East African or Somali origin.

This would normally not be significant but for the fact that the likely gang of robbers which originated the wave of violence in the spring of 2005 were Somali or East African. Previous Rambix posts on that angle can be found here.

KSTP News also reports that another robbery may be connected: "Police: Uptown robberies may be related".

Minneapolis Police are looking into the connection between two robberies Saturday evening, one of which left a West Virginia man in critical condition after being shot in the head.

Michael Zebuhr was visiting the Twin Cities with his mother when the two were robbed after leaving a Calhoun Square restaurant. Two men of East African or Somali ethnicity held up the pair at gun point and shot Zebuhr even after his mother had handed over her purse.
The shooting was their second cime of the night:

About three hours before the robbery at 31 and Girard Ave. S., police say two suspects robbed another man at gunpoint as he pulled up to an ATM at the Wells Fargo on Lake St. W. and Humboldt Ave. S.

A source tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS suspects in both cases meet a similar description.
WCCO News reports that Mr. Zebuhr was shot twice in the head:

One gunman shot Zebuhr twice in the head. Police said the shooting appeared to be cold-blooded and unprovoked.
It doesn't get more vicious than that, folks. These animals are extremely dangerous. With the exception of the idiots quoted in a previous post, most people of normal judgment are very concerned:

Uptown's usual upbeat atmosphere remains on edge with no suspects in the case.

Erik Pehrson, an Uptown shop employee said, "It's a definite shock. I'll be walking ladies to their cars at night when they get off late.".

Other workers said they'll be sure that more than one person is inside their shop at all times.

A manager of another store said she'll be paying for employees to park at a parking ramp because at a ramp, at least there are a few extra sets of eyes keeping watch.
WCCO News also reports that Uptown residents are "fighting back" with liberal's usual answer to violent crime:

Devens said, "Because of increasing concern for these types of crimes, our neighborhood, the CARAG neighborhood, has gotten together to form what we call the CARAG stroll patrol or a neighborhood walking group."
Well, good luck with the walking. If you don't like consrvatives for anything else, we're much better at stopping crime. So might I instead suggest taking the advice of JB Doubtless and purchasing a large caliber self-defense tool?