Latest news with #OperationSafeSummer
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Minneapolis police bringing back Operation Safe Summer amid recent shootings
A recent shooting is raising a lot of questions about safety in the Twin Cities. Police said gunfire broke out at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis late Sunday night. Stageina Whiting, 23, was killed. Five others were hurt and had to be rushed to the hospital. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said he and his officers arrived to find a chaotic scene. "I don't know what can motivate people to come armed to a gathering like this in the way that they did," O'Hara said. "It's sickening, and we need people to come forward and provide some additional information." That mass shooting — along with another shooting outside Mariucci Arena after a high school graduation — is now sparking worry about what might come this summer. Crime typically spikes this time of year, but O'Hara says recent events are still concerning. It's why the department is bringing back a partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement leaders. MPD said Operation Safe Summer aims to target the "disproportionate amount of violence in Minneapolis neighborhoods" and the "individuals responsible." According to police, it's led to dozens of arrests and recovered firearms and kept illegal drugs off the streets. This is the program's fourth summer in a row. MPD is expected to share more on this initiative at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Woman killed in Boom Island Park shooting is identified
Woman killed in Boom Island Park shooting is identified originally appeared on Bring Me The News. The woman killed when gunfire erupted during a large gathering at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis on Sunday evening has been identified. Stageina Whiting, 23, of Brooklyn Center, died at Hennepin County Medical Center from a gunshot wound to the torso, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed. Police arrived at the park around 9:30 p.m. to find Whiting severely injured after an altercation at the park escalated to a shooting. Six other people were injured in the incident, with five men shot – one of whom is in a life-threatening condition – and a woman knocked unconscious. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara likened the aftermath of the shooting to a "war zone" due to the number of shell casings found at the scene. Police believe there was more than one shooter involved, but no arrests have been made as of Monday evening. The incident has been denounced as "completely unacceptable" by Mayor Jacob Frey, who said: "My heart is with the victims and their loved ones today. "This week, we're launching Operation Safe Summer – a coordinated effort with law enforcement partners at every level to prevent violence and keep people safe. We're going to keep working with our partners to keep incidents like this rare." Third District Rep. Ilhan Omar said: "I'm devastated by the tragic shooting at Boom Island Park last heart is with the victims, their families, and all those who were at the park during such a terrifying moment. Our community should feel safe in parks and public spaces no matter the time of day." This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
1 dead, several wounded in Minnesota's Boom Island Park ‘war zone'
A woman was killed and five men wounded late Sunday when a mass shooting turned Minneapolis's Boom Island Park into a 'war zone,' officials said. Another woman was hospitalized after being knocked unconscious in the chaotic aftermath, Minnesota Police Chief Brian O'Hara told reporters at a Monday-morning press conference at the park. Investigators said there was likely more than one shooter, given the number of shell casings, and that no arrests had been made. The Hennepin County Medical examiner identified the woman killed as 23-year-old Stageina Katraya Shapryia Whiting from Brooklyn Center on Monday. She suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. The gunfire broke out during a dispute at a large gathering in the Mississippi River-adjacent park, O'Hara said, and calls began coming in around 9:30 p.m. Police arrived to find about 100 people in the park. Chief O'Hara said a large crowd had gathered at the park Sunday evening, perhaps for a BBQ, when an argument escalated into gunfire. His investigators believe multiple shooters were involved in the incident, as hundreds of pieces of evidence were strewn around the park, many of them empty shell casings. 'It's more akin to a war zone, the amount of casings found in the park. It's sickening and we need people to come forward,' O'Hara said. 'The level of violence displayed in this shooting is absolutely sickening, and our investigators will work diligently to bring whoever is responsible to justice.' Mayor Jacob Frey called the violence 'completely unacceptable' in a social media post stating that just this week, the city launched 'Operation Safe Summer' to curb violence. City statistics showed more than three dozen law enforcement units responded to the gunfire. CBS News reports that at least one Minneapolis City Council member wants to see Boom Island close its gates by 8 p.m.
