Three people were killed, including the suspected gunman, and six others were wounded after gunfire erupted Wednesday afternoon inside a downtown high-rise apartment building, officials said. Casualties included three Minneapolis police officers.
Officers were dispatched at 4:36 p.m. to the Loring Towers, also known as Shoreline Plaza, on E. Grant St. in the Loring Park neighborhood, after 911 callers reported shots fired and at least one person shot. Officers arrived within about two minutes, entered the building, found victims in the lobby, and followed additional gunfire to an upper floor, where they encountered a haze that limited visibility and exchanged fire with the shooter, Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson said at a Wednesday evening news conference.
One civilian died at the scene. Four people were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where a second civilian later died. Three other civilians who were shot were being treated there. The suspected shooter was found dead at the scene; Peterson said it was not immediately known how he died.
Three officers were injured. Two were struck by gunfire, one in the leg and one twice in the abdomen. A third officer sustained injuries not from gunfire. All three were expected to recover. Four additional officers experienced effects from an unknown airborne substance, and two officers were hurt in a squad-car crash while responding, according to a city statement.
Peterson described the situation as “tremendously tragic” and “extremely dangerous,” praising officers who “responded without hesitation, confronted an extraordinarily dangerous situation and worked to end the violence and restore safety.” Mayor Jacob Frey said officers “acted with incredible bravery and courage,” adding that they rescued victims and helped get people to the hospital “all while getting shot at themselves.”
Peterson said police were “familiar with who this individual was” from prior contacts, including a June incident in which the man threatened residents with a weapon, but he did not name the suspect during the briefing and cited the active investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting with the investigation, including any use-of-force review. Multiple agencies, including the FBI, State Patrol, and departments from surrounding cities, responded.
Sources confirmed to AlphaNews that the suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson II (pictured above).
The outlet reported that court documents in an eviction case against him at the building cited a pattern of concerning behavior: loud arguments and knocking on a resident’s door in January; allowing an unauthorized guest in February; assaulting a resident in March; openly displaying a firearm on the premises and to management staff on June 11; statements to residents that he had obtained a new gun and “would kill someone”; and flashing a gun on a nearby sidewalk on June 13. A June 16 letter terminated his lease for material breach and required him to vacate by June 29.
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Gridlock in downtown Minneapolis with multiple responders following an ACTIVE SHOOTER event.
At least two cops were shot. Others are reportedly injured or dead.https://t.co/xV4zja0El3— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) September 2, 2026
Hearings had been continued, with the next scheduled for next Friday on September 11. No apparent arrests or charges were tied to those incidents in available court records. Johnson’s rent at the taxpayer-subsidized building was $105 per month.
Officials urged the public to avoid the area while the large crime scene was processed. A reunification site was set up at Central Lutheran Church. No motive was released. Peterson called the shooter’s actions “cowardly.” Governor Tim Walz said state officials were supporting the local response.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
Photo “Carlton Neal Johnson, II” by Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and “Grant Street” is by Minneapolis Crime Watch and Information.
