MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A 16-year-old girl was tragically killed, and five others were injured when a car plowed into a crowd following a fight in downtown Minneapolis. Police have arrested 22-year-old Natalia Margol on murder charges in connection with the incident, which occurred early Saturday morning. The victim’s family is devastated and demanding answers.
The collision happened around 12:20 a.m. on Fifth Street South near Hennepin Avenue. The victim, identified as Demya Broom, was struck by a silver SUV driven by Margol. Broom’s family described her as a compassionate individual who was turning her life around, aspiring to pursue a career in nursing after transferring from Spring Lake High School to the Minnesota Internship Center.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that the attack was not random and that the crowd was deliberately targeted. According to O’Hara, Margol was present during a fight involving teenagers before she used her vehicle as a weapon, backing up and then accelerating into the group of people standing between the sidewalk and the roadway.
Broom was pronounced dead at the hospital, while a 29-year-old woman remains in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Four other individuals, including two 14-year-old girls, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The incident has left the community in shock and mourning.
The Broom family is struggling to come to terms with the loss of their loved one and is seeking justice. “We want to know why this happened to Demya,” said a family member. “She didn’t deserve this, and our family needs answers.”
Police arrested Margol about an hour after the incident on Bryant Avenue North. Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the tragic event as the community rallies around Broom’s grieving family.