A killing near same Minneapolis intersection for second straight weekend: 'These arguments escalate into violence so quickly'

Two were killed and three wounded — including two teen girls — in a shooting early Saturday morning around the intersection Hennepin and Fifth in downtown Minneapolis.

It was the second straight weekend that a killing took place around that intersection. The previous Saturday, a 16-year-old girl was killed after a hit-and-run driver plowed into a crowd following a late-night fight.

'You are not going to have downtown Minneapolis recover until you have safe streets and clean streets.'

In regard to the latest killing, Minneapolis Police Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell told KMSP-TV, "Five families had their lives changed last night, and our hearts go out to them. It’s extraordinarily tragic."

Blackwell added to the station, "These arguments escalate into violence so quickly."

Investigators told KMSP there's no apparent connection between the incidents — but that hasn't eased the mind of at least one local business owner.

"It happened two weeks in a row. Why couldn’t it happen three weeks in a row?" Daniel Stensgaard — owner of Daniel’s Custom Clothing, a high-end store overlooking the intersection — asked the station.

"I just don’t even feel comfortable anymore," Stensgaard remarked to KMSP about the city, noting that he's planning to relocate his shop within 45 days.

"It’s sad that I’m reading about 14, 16, 17-year-olds," he added to the station. "Crime [on] Hennepin Avenue has always been a bit notorious, but nothing like this… you are not going to have downtown Minneapolis recover until you have safe streets and clean streets."

In regard to the latest killing, KMSP said police recovered a gun at the scene of the shooting and arrested one person for rioting.

Concerning the previous killing on Sept. 14, officers responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash on Fifth Street North at Hennepin Avenue around 12:23 a.m., and police said a female suspect drove in reverse on Hennepin and then drove the wrong way on Fifth Street into the crowd.

Six people were taken to Hennepin Healthcare, including the 16-year-old girl who later died; another victim sustained life-threatening injuries while a handful of others suffered less serious injuries.

Stensgaard spoke to WCCO-TV about the first incident, telling the station that city leaders "should have their asses down here starting at 11 o'clock at night and let them walk around and watch the shortage of police officers and what's happened."

You can read a video report here about both killings.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!