Block E Murder Update

KARE 11 News reports good news on the murder front: "Man in Custody for Random Murder in Downtown Minneapolis". The bad news, of course, is that Minneapolis has claimed another victim.

It's going to be very interesting to see if the murder victim was involved in some dispute with the killer, or if he was truly an innocent victim. The initial news reports point to innocent victim.

A Minnetonka man is dead and the suspected gunman is behind bars after a random shooting in downtown Minneapolis.

It happened around 11:30 Friday night just across the street from Block E.

Police say the gunman opened fire into a crowd of people. A 31 year old Minnetonka man was shot in the head. Police say he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Interim Minneapolis police Chief Tim Dolan says, "The victim was walking from one business to another with friends when he was struck by gunfire."

A 31 year old suburban man cut down in his prime. All for making the mistake of taking his entertainment dollars to Minneapolis. What I want to know is: Did he have a family? Was his family with him? If so, the senseless slaughter of another human being is all the more tragic.

It's not like the police aren't doing their jobs:

Dolan say there were at least 30 officers within a block and a half of the shooting which happened at the parking lot on 6th Street and 1st Avenue.

Inspector Rob Allen says, "One of those officers, Jomar Villamor, saw the individual running down 1st Avenue after the shots had been fired waving a large handgun."

The officer chased the suspect, a 21 year old Minneapolis man, through the warehouse district.

According to Allen, "The suspect turned and pointed his gun at Officer Villamor. Officer Villamor didn't fire because there were other people around."

Allen says Villamor continued to chase the suspect and apprehended him a couple blocks away, just one minute after the shooting.

At the same time, police were also called to a fight at Block E but the suspect told police he was not involved in the fight. According to Dolan, "He did not feel threatened, he was not firing at a known enemy, he was just firing into the crowd as he was running through."

Police say the suspect fired multiple shots.

If this isn't out-of-control criminality, I don't know what is.

I have to repeat for the mayor's sake: The culture of crime in Minneapolis is systemic. You can squeeze criminals with cop saturation, but lawlessness has taken root and will continue to fester below the surface.

This isn't time for squishy liberal policy; it's time for a Giuliani-style crackdown.

Rambix reader David N. points out that on the night of the shooting, Mayor Rybak was celebrating the smoking ban at Schroeder's Bar in St. Paul.

Where are this man's priorities? We're barely two weeks out from a vicious slaughter of a visiting student in Uptown. The mayor should have been in Uptown, or Downtown, to show that the areas are "safe" (but of course, they're not).

Minneapolis police, Mayor R.T. Rybak and the Police Community Relations Council sent their sincerest condolences to the family of the victim today.

And to reassure people who spend time in downtown, police say they will have a large presence there tonight. Mayor Rybak will also be downtown tonight talking to people about their concerns.

Now he goes downtown.

It's too late Mayor Rybak, the damage is done.