MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police officers shot and killed a man early Thursday after an overnight standoff that began after reports that he had fired shots inside an apartment building on the city's South Side, according to city and state officials.
The Minneapolis Police Department identified the man as Andrew Tekle Sundberg, 20. He was taken to HCMC, where he died.
"This is not the outcome we had hoped for or desired," Minneapolis officer Garrett Parten, a department spokesman, said during a media briefing.
Two Minneapolis officers fired their rifles, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which is leading the investigation. The agency did not say whether one or both officers fatally wounded Sundberg. The city identified the officers involved as Aaron Pearson and Zachary Seraphine.
"BCA investigators recovered a firearm at the scene," a statement from the agency said.
The agency said it is attempting to determine whether any officers' body-worn cameras captured the event.
At least two activist groups planned a vigil for Thursday night near where the shooting occurred. "Join us as we show respect for the life taken from the community," an announcement on Facebook read.
Minneapolis police have been involved in at least 37 fatal encounters since 2000, according to a Star Tribune database.
Thursday's death was the second known fatal encounter involving Minneapolis police this year. The department and its officers have been the subject of intense public scrutiny surrounding fatal interactions with members of the public following the killing of George Floyd in police custody in May 2020.
Events began unfolding about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday when police were called about shots fired from inside an apartment building on S. 21st Avenue, near Cedar and Franklin avenues in the Seward neighborhood.
A woman who lived in an apartment next to where the man was holed up told police that bullets came through the wall of her third-floor unit. Officers arrived and heard more shots being fired and debris exploding from the wall, Parten said. Police removed the woman and two children who were with her. Others in the building also were moved to safety and some in nearby homes were evacuated, Parten said.
Several nearby streets were shut down during the six hours that law enforcement attempted to talk the man down. Efforts included using a loudspeaker to tell the man to "exit with his hands up," Parten said.
Police also told the man to check his phone for calls and voicemails from his parents. Law enforcement brought the man's parents to the scene in hopes of getting him to surrender.
About 4:30 a.m. Thursday, as the situation continued to escalate, a decision was made to use force, a statement from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association said.
"We want to stress to the public that this is an active investigation," the association's statement said. "Over the last several years, misinformation, rumors, and innuendos have led to pain and distrust in our community and justice system. We implore everyone to not hastily arrive to a conclusion until all information is known."
In a series of tweets, Mayor Jacob Frey said, "All (in law enforcement) were working together to try and reach a peaceful resolution amid dangerous circumstances while keeping nearby residents safe. The City will continue working to share as much information as possible in these early hours and has turned the investigation over to the BCA."
Frey added, "I also want to express my gratitude to the City staff, including MPD officers and crisis negotiators, who worked diligently throughout the night alongside the individual's family members. This is not the outcome anyone wanted. Any loss of life is tragic, and my deepest condolences go out to the family of the individual involved."
Council Member Jamal Osman, who represents the area, thanked officers "for their quick action in responding to the call."
"They may have saved the lives of the neighbors," Osman said in a statement. "I'll will wait until further information is available before addressing anything about the response."
Residents were not allowed back into the apartment building until Thursday evening because of the active investigation, said state Rep. Mohamud Noor, DFL-Minneapolis, who represents the area.
"This is a tragic incident, no matter how you look at it," he said.
Noor said he was providing assistance to neighborhood residents. The apartment complex across the street is occupied by mostly East African elders with disabilities who hadn't left their units since the gunfire, he said.
By Thursday afternoon, 21st Avenue was still taped off by police, and BCA investigators could be seen entering and leaving the apartment building. A large window with a gaping hole could be seen at the top of the three-story apartment building.
Angel Scott, 28, said she heard the first shots around 8 p.m., before police arrived.
Scott, who lives in a nearby building, said she kept her kids away from the window and kept a watch on other buildings. Though she said crime happens in the area — including drug use in and around her building — this was worse.
"After last night, I did not sleep," Scott said.
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(Star Tribune staff writers Liz Sawyer, Kyeland Jackson, Faiza Mahamud, Andy Mannix, Alex Chhith and Jeff Hargarten contributed to this report.)
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