Politicians in north Minneapolis demand action after shooting

Brian Herron was deeply shocked to hear that four children had been shot and injured while traveling in a stolen car in north Minneapolis over the weekend.

“I was very emotional and heartbroken,” said Herron, pastor of Zion Baptist Church.

Herron knows some of the children's parents. The victims were between 11 and 14 years old. Later that Sunday, when the children were shot, he preached to his north Minneapolis congregation and prayed, and felt hope returning.

Herron and other North Side religious leaders have worked for decades to help youth who engage in delinquency. Through programs and street outreach, they try to help children, their families and the community. They say the shooting underscores the need for their work and are calling for more funding from the city and help from the community to combat youth crime.

“This could give us an opportunity to connect with some of these families and see how we can help and change the trajectory of these young people and maybe the lives of the adults in that family,” Herron said. “We need to take responsibility.”

Shooting on Sunday

Police responded to multiple ShotSpotter activations in the 1700 block of Girard Avenue North around 1 a.m. Sunday. Police received reports of multiple gunshot victims found near the 1400 block of Plymouth Avenue North, where five children were found in a stolen vehicle; four of them suffered gunshot wounds.

The four victims, two boys and two girls, were taken to Hennepin Healthcare. Three of the children suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the other suffered an apparent life-threatening injury. The fifth child was uninjured and transported home. A spokesperson for Hennepin Healthcare could not provide an update on the children's condition.

Police said the five children were in a stolen Kia when a dark-colored sedan began shooting at them. The sedan left the area before officers arrived. About 30 shell casings were found at the scene.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that while thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in the city have declined, the crimes committed by young people after stealing such cars have become “bolder.”

“The shooting of four children between the ages of 11 and 14 is outrageous and should be a cause for concern for everyone,” O'Hara said at a press conference on Sunday. “The police are doing everything they can to respond, but we cannot always react after the fact. More must be done to prevent this type of activity from occurring in the first place.”

As of Thursday, no arrests have been made in the case and police have not announced a possible motive for the shooting.

Religious leaders in north Minneapolis react

Jerry McAfee, pastor of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, was not surprised when he heard about the shooting.

“The only surprise is that no one died,” he said.

McAfee said serious crimes involving young children are not a new occurrence.

McAfee has been a pastor in New Salem for over 30 years. He and Herron work together on an anti-violence initiative called “21 Days of Peace.” They identify high-crime areas in the city and occupy those streets every day, helping people find resources like housing, food and jobs. They've also targeted areas popular with young people and are working to establish a presence in North Commons Park.

“It wasn’t so much about always relocating people, but about finding out what problems they have and meeting their needs,” McAfee said of her efforts.

The community has not received the support and funding it needs from the city government to address the problem, he added.

“Those of us who do the work are not getting any help from the city,” McAfee said. “It's sad and it's all politics.”

The young age of children who become involved in or victims of crime is alarming, Herron said.

“I can't imagine being shot at 11, not even at 14, not even at 15,” Herron said. “When you look at these young people, how can you get involved in activities that young that put your life in such danger?”

Herron added that it is important to work with leaders of different faiths. He is in contact with Makram El-Amin, the imam of the An-Nur Mosque.

El-Amin's mosque has a non-profit organization called Al-Maa'uun that helps community members suffering from poverty, drug abuse, and other problems. Al-Maa'uun also has a mentoring program for youth called Sahabah, which means companion in Arabic.

He encourages community members to serve as mentors to youth, whether through the Sahabah program or another organization.

“We want to be companions and help them to follow their path and overcome the challenges of life,” said El-Amin.

Everyone in the community, from schools to places of worship, has a role to play in supporting youth, and more needs to be done to prevent incidents like this, he said.

“When I heard about these young people, I knew that directly or indirectly, maybe even indirectly, there was blood on my hands,” he said. “I have to take some level of responsibility, even if it's only indirectly. I just have to say, 'What more could I have done?'”