4th of July chaos: Videos show 'war zone' erupt in Minneapolis as police, residents attacked with fireworks

Independence Day celebrations in Minneapolis descended into chaos as police and residents were attacked with fireworks, videos reveal.

Independent journalist Rebecca Brannon wrote on Twitter, "Insanely chaotic night across Minneapolis as I tracked 250-500 group of mostly juveniles across the city until 3 AM. State troopers as far as Stillwater joined MPD tonight but authorities were still overwhelmed; many officers seemed very frustrated."

Brannon posted numerous videos of people intentionally launching fireworks at buildings, residents, cars, and police officers on the night of the 4th of July. Brannon noted that several of the people firing fireworks were dressed in all black and wearing masks.

Brannon said she was attacked: "Hundreds set off a war zone of fireworks shooting at people and vehicles – behind and all around me. One person even started shooting roman candles at me while I filmed."

(WARNING: Graphic video)

A young man suffered a serious injury to his abdomen after a firework exploded in a crowd of people.

A WCCO-TV news team was feet away from a firework exploding while conducting an interview about the chaos in the neighborhood near Boom Island.

There was a confrontation between police officers and several individuals near Lake Calhoun. An officer orders the group to "go home" and accuses them of "terrorizing people."

KMSP-TV reported that commercial-grade fireworks were being launched from a vehicle at Minnehaha Regional Park.

Erin Gormley, caretaker for her condominium near Bde Maka Ska, told KMSP-TV, "They were shooting explosives at me because I was protecting the property. They had no regard for anything, they were putting fireworks, like explosive ones, under the cars."

Gormley added, "I felt afraid. I was not going to leave my front door."

Despite the heavy police presence, including officers from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter, the crowds seemed unwilling to disperse.

Local resident Erin Hewitt said, "There was just a complete disrespect for everybody. Once the police came, there was no leaving. They were just hanging out, they weren’t listening to the police whatsoever. It was pretty intense."

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said at a press conference, "The targeting of innocent people with fireworks is unlawful, dangerous, and wholly unacceptable."

"But it was really I think after midnight, we had probably a couple of hundred young people gathered in the area of the lake around Bde Maka Ska," O'Hara stated. "And that was where it became challenging just because there were so many kids gathered, onlookers to observe this activity, and they were parked deeply into some of the neighborhoods there. And it just took us time to clear everybody out. And just because of the volume of that, then it became, you know, trying to keep disrupting them wherever they were, then trying to go after them."

Police said there were 16 people arrested, 11 of whom were juveniles.

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