Minneapolis Apartment Complex Shooting Leaves Two Dead and Six Wounded as Suspect Reportedly Takes Own Life Following Eviction Dispute

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AUTHORITIES SAY A MINNEAPOLIS MAN FACING EVICTION THREATENED TO KILL SOMEONE AND GUN DOWN HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND BEFORE SHOOTING EIGHT PEOPLE AT HIS APARTMENT BUILDING AND DYING BY SUICIDE.

Gunfire broke out just before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Shoreline Plaza in Minneapolis.

Carlton Johnson II, 35, lived alone in the apartment complex.

Police have not formally named Johnson as the perpetrator of the attack.

He was identified as the shooter by people with knowledge of the investigation, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The suspected shooter allegedly killed two people during the assault.

Six other people were injured in the gunfire.

Three responding Minneapolis police officers were among the wounded.

Two of the officers were struck by bullets, according to police spokesperson Garrett Parten.

One officer was shot twice in the stomach.

A second officer was shot in the leg.

The third officer sustained an injury that was not life-threatening.

Multiple victims were discovered inside the apartment building’s lobby when officers arrived, Minneapolis Police said in a release.

Officers then heard additional gunfire erupting from within the building.

Then officers made their way toward an upper floor.

Upon reaching that floor, responding police encountered a haze.

Derrick Thompson, who had recently moved out of Shoreline Plaza, was inside the complex picking up his mail when the violence started.

Thompson was at the building when he “heard a girl.. screaming.”

“It wasn’t long before all hell broke loose,” he said.

State troopers and municipal police officers converged on the building after initial reports of shots fired.

One victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another victim was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center and died there.

Authorities have not released the identities of the two people who were killed.

Police have not formally explained how the shooter died.

But sources told KSTP that the suspect died by suicide.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.

Police confirmed that the suspect was previously known to law enforcement.

Neighbors recalled that Johnson had seemingly been plotting some sort of massacre in the days leading up to the rampage.

Chris Miller, who had been Johnson’s neighbor for a few months, recalled a conversation that occurred on either Sunday or Monday.

During that exchange, Johnson allegedly threatened to shoot his ex-girlfriend and two property managers, Miller told the Star Tribune.

“He said, ‘I’m going to shoot people,’” Miller said.

“He was very, very angry, drunk and mad.”

Thompson stated that Johnson was “fighting people every day, every damn day,” according to the Star Tribune.

Thompson described Johnson as a resident who once socialized with neighbors but had recently “lost everything.”

Johnson was involved in an ongoing child custody dispute, his former neighbor said.

His vehicle had also recently been repossessed.

And Johnson was facing imminent eviction from his apartment.

On June 16, Johnson received a formal notice stating that his lease would be terminated on June 29, KSTP reported.

The termination letter came from the property management’s legal team.

It detailed seven separate incidents between January and June of this year in which Johnson allegedly violated the terms of his lease.

The letter alleged that Johnson clashed with residents and displayed his gun on multiple occasions over that six-month period.

On Jan. 16, Johnson allegedly “disturbed the peace” by knocking on a resident’s door and arguing with people in the building.

On Feb. 19, he allegedly permitted an individual inside the complex without complying with the sign-in rules.

On March 23, Johnson allegedly assaulted another resident at the property, according to the letter.

The notice did not include further details about what occurred during that alleged March assault.

In June, Johnson allegedly displayed a firearm openly at the building.

According to the notice, he boasted about having a weapon and told fellow residents that he would “kill someone.”

The legal letter warned Johnson that property managers would pursue court action if he remained in his unit past noon on June 29.

Johnson’s eviction trial was originally set to take place in August, KARE 11 reported.

The court proceeding was subsequently moved to Sept. 11.

The reason for that scheduling change remains unclear.

The shooting took place on Wednesday, nine days after that Sept. 11 court date.

Johnson also had a prior record in the criminal court system.

In 2012, Johnson violated a contact order connected to a domestic abuse case and was placed on probation, the Star Tribune reported.

In 2018, authorities charged Johnson with domestic assault after his sister reported that he attacked her.

His sister alleged that he threw her around her home during a drunken rage, causing her to strike furniture.

According to court documents seen by the Star Tribune, Johnson told his sister that he was “not afraid to shoot people in the face.”

Prosecutors subsequently dismissed the domestic assault charge after Johnson agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor property damage.

A judge sentenced Johnson to 90 days in jail for that conviction.

The court stayed 86 days of that sentence.

Investigators eventually cordoned off the building with police tape as they launched their investigation into the shooting.

City and police leaders later issued statements addressing the incident and the law enforcement response.

“This is a tremendously tragic event, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, with those who were injured, and with the injured officers and their families,” Parten said.

Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson addressed the attack in a public statement.

“I’m truly sickened by this level of violence,” interim Minneapolis police chief Bill Peterson said of the “cowardly acts of a violent shooter.”

Peterson also praised the conduct of the responding officers.

“That feeling is tempered only by the courageous actions of the Minneapolis police officers who responded without hesitation, confronted an extraordinarily dangerous situation, and worked to end the violence and restore safety,” Peterson said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey echoed praise for the officers who intervened at Shoreline Plaza.

“Our Minneapolis police officers acted with incredible bravery and courage,” he said.

Had it not been for “their heroic response, the death toll would’ve been far higher,” the mayor added.

Two lives were lost inside the building.

Six people were wounded by gunfire and trauma.

Three officers were injured on the scene.

The complex had the warnings.

The complex had the threats.

Anyone affected by the issues raised in this account can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts can also dial 988 for the 24/7 hotline or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.