Six other people, including three Minneapolis police officers, were injured after gunfire erupted inside a downtown apartment building Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Two civilians were killed and six people were injured Wednesday in a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building, where officers encountered continuing gunfire after rushing inside, authorities said. The suspected shooter was also found dead, bringing the total number of deaths to three.
Police were called at about 4:36 p.m. Sept. 2 to the high-rise at 15 E. Grant St., near Loring Park and the Minneapolis Convention Center. Officers arrived within minutes and initially found a person who had been shot. As they moved farther into the building, they heard additional gunfire and discovered more victims. Three civilians and three police officers were injured, according to the latest accounts from city officials and local news organizations. Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the public after the building was secured.
One civilian was pronounced dead at the scene, while another died after being taken to a hospital. Authorities had not publicly released the victims’ identities by early Thursday. Two officers suffered gunshot wounds during the response. One was shot in the leg, while another was shot in the abdomen and required surgery Wednesday evening. A third officer suffered a non-life-threatening injury. Officials said the injured officers were expected to survive.
Officers faced difficult conditions as they moved toward the gunfire. Police said they encountered a haze on an upper floor that sharply reduced visibility. Four additional officers experienced adverse effects after exposure to what city officials described as an unknown airborne substance. Authorities had not publicly identified the substance or explained whether it was deliberately released. Investigators continued working to determine exactly what happened inside the building and how the shooting unfolded.
The suspected shooter was found dead during the police response. Minneapolis police said Wednesday night that investigators were still determining how the person died. Multiple law enforcement sources later identified the suspected shooter to CBS News as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson, but Minneapolis police had not publicly confirmed that identification in their initial briefing. Police said they were familiar with the suspected shooter before Wednesday’s violence but did not immediately provide details about their previous contacts.
Court records reviewed by local news organizations show that a man identified as Johnson had been involved in an eviction dispute at the building, which has been known as Shoreline Plaza and formerly as Loring Towers. According to the records, property representatives sought to terminate his lease after a series of alleged incidents, including an assault and displays of a firearm. The documents also described warnings over his conduct at the property. Those allegations were part of a civil housing dispute and do not, by themselves, establish a motive for Wednesday’s shooting.
Authorities had not announced a motive as of Thursday morning, and police had not publicly explained whether the people who were killed or wounded were specifically targeted. Investigators also had not released a detailed account of the suspected shooter’s movements before officers arrived. Witnesses described hearing repeated gunfire inside and around the building, but investigators were still working to establish a verified sequence of events and determine what evidence was recovered.
The shooting brought a large emergency response to the area near Loring Park. Minneapolis officials initially asked people to avoid a wide section of downtown so police, firefighters and medical crews could operate safely. Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, offered assistance as local authorities secured the building and began processing the scene.
Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson praised officers for entering the building while shots were still being fired. Mayor Jacob Frey also credited officers with moving toward the danger, rescuing victims and helping people reach safety. Officials emphasized that the investigation was still in its early stages and that some details released during the first hours after the shooting could change as detectives review evidence and interview witnesses.
Police continued investigating Thursday, with major questions still unresolved, including the motive, the relationship between the suspected shooter and the victims, the circumstances of the suspect’s death and the source of the haze encountered by officers. Authorities were also awaiting formal identification of those killed and additional information about the wounded civilians.
Author note: Last updated September 3, 2026.