Four minors, ranging in age from 11 to 14 years old, were shot inside a stolen Kia in Minneapolis early Sunday. One of the occupants of the car was uninjured.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a dark colored sedan pulled up behind the Kia and began firing shots. The sedan left the area before officers arrived.
Police responded to the incident in the 1400 block of Plymouth Avenue North around 1 a.m. after responding to multiple ShotSpotter alerts nearby in the area.
Officers provided medical aid until firefighters and EMS arrived, according to the police press release, and all four were transported by ambulance to HCMC. Two boys and one girl had apparent non-life threatening injuries, while one girl had life-threatening injuries. The fifth juvenile, who was uninjured, was transported home.
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“Four kids shot between eleven and fourteen is outrageous and everyone should be up in arms over it,” O’Hara said. “The police are doing everything that we can in response to this, but we can’t keep responding after the fact. More needs to be done to deter this type of activity in the first place.”
O’Hara noted that over the last two years, juveniles being involved in joy-riding with stolen vehicles, frequently Kia and Hyundai models, has been a “tremendous problem.” The police chief noted that the number of thefts of these two models has dropped by a quarter, and they were less than half of all vehicles stolen in the city.
“While there’s fewer of these cars are being stolen, the activity that these juveniles are involved in have become more brazen,” O’Hara said. “There’s been more aggravated assaults, more robberies, more hit and runs. [There’s been] more serious crimes more frequently committed by those individuals who are involved in the theft of these cars.
“We are failing to deter this behavior and with that we are failing these kids as well,” O’Hara added.
No arrests have been made in the case.
The incident involving the shooting of four minors in a stolen Kia in Minneapolis is a tragic reminder of the dangers that young individuals face when involved in criminal activities. The fact that children as young as 11 years old are being exposed to such violence is alarming and should prompt a serious conversation about the root causes of juvenile delinquency.
Chief O’Hara’s statement about the need for more proactive measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the first place is crucial. It is not enough to simply respond to crimes after they occur; efforts must be made to address the underlying issues that lead young people to engage in risky behaviors like joy-riding in stolen vehicles.
The fact that stolen Kia and Hyundai models have been frequently used in these incidents highlights the need for better security measures and deterrents to prevent car thefts. While it is encouraging to see a decrease in the number of these vehicles being stolen, the increase in violent crimes associated with these thefts is a cause for concern.
As a community, we must come together to support our young people and provide them with the resources and opportunities they need to make positive choices. It is clear that more needs to be done to address the complex social issues that contribute to juvenile crime and violence.
In the meantime, our thoughts are with the four minors who were injured in this senseless act of violence. We hope for their speedy recovery and urge anyone with information about the incident to come forward and assist law enforcement in their investigation. Together, we can work towards creating a safer and more secure environment for all members of our community.