A deadly shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building began during a child custody exchange Wednesday before moving inside the building, where two residents were killed and two Minneapolis police officers were wounded, authorities said.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the two residents who died as 61-year-old Muse Afrah and 63-year-old Dale Henry Spry. Both lived at Shoreline Plaza, located at 15 East Grant Street near Loring Park.
The suspected gunman, identified by authorities as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson II, also died during the incident.
Two Minneapolis police officers who were shot were identified as Joseph Michnowski and Yahye Ahmed.
Michnowski, a five-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, was shot twice in the stomach and underwent surgery Wednesday. He remained hospitalized Thursday, according to Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson.
Ahmed, who joined the department about a year and a half ago, was shot in the leg. He was released from the hospital Thursday and is expected to recover.
A third Minneapolis officer suffered injuries from broken glass after smashing the window of a locked squad car to shut off its siren.
Shooting began during custody exchange
According to investigators, the violence started outside Shoreline Plaza while Johnson was involved in a custody exchange involving his child.
The child was able to get away without being injured, officials said. Johnson then shot the child’s mother before entering the apartment building.
Once inside, he shot two employees on the first floor. One employee is expected to survive, while another woman remained in critical condition.
Johnson then went to the ninth floor, where he lived alone. Investigators said he shot Afrah and Spry there.
Authorities have not found evidence that Johnson specifically targeted either of the two residents or the employees.
Minneapolis police officers responding to the active-shooter call went up the building’s stairs and encountered Johnson in a ninth-floor hallway.
Investigators said Johnson had a legal permit to carry a firearm. During the confrontation, gunfire was exchanged between Johnson and responding officers.
The exact sequence of who fired first remains under investigation.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s preliminary findings determined that Johnson died from multiple gunshot wounds and classified the manner of death as homicide. Investigators are continuing to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.
Officers rushed toward the gunfire
Police received the first emergency call at about 4:36 p.m. Wednesday.
Peterson said officers reached the building within roughly two minutes and 26 seconds of the initial report.
The rapid response became a focus of Thursday’s news conference, where Peterson praised officers who moved toward the active shooter while other people were still inside the building.
Mayor Jacob Frey also credited officers with providing immediate medical assistance to the woman wounded during the custody exchange. Frey said the woman may not have survived without officers quickly applying a tourniquet.
Investigators are separately examining the use of force by police during the confrontation.
The BCA confirmed that Officer Liban Mohamed Ibrahim fired his weapon during the incident. Ibrahim has been with the Minneapolis Police Department since September 2024. Investigators are working to determine whether additional officers discharged their firearms.
Suspect had been facing eviction
Johnson had been living at Shoreline Plaza and was facing eviction proceedings before the shooting.
Court records indicate that the eviction case followed several incidents at the building, including an allegation that Johnson displayed a firearm and another incident involving an assault on a resident.
Johnson signed his lease at the building in March 2025. Earlier this year, police were called after he was accused of walking around the block with a firearm visible and displaying the weapon toward another resident.
Authorities previously determined there was not enough evidence to charge him over that particular firearm incident.
Additional court proceedings involving Johnson had been scheduled for September.
The circumstances surrounding his firearm possession and permit are also being reviewed as investigators continue examining his background.
Shoreline Plaza had previous violence
The shooting has renewed attention on the history of Shoreline Plaza, which was previously known as Loring Towers.
Two men were shot and killed inside the same apartment complex in September 2025 after police responded to a reported fight.
City records also show that the address generated more than 1,000 emergency 911 calls over the previous five years.
Peterson said Thursday that police and building management had worked together to address problems at the property and that conditions had improved compared with previous years.
Still, some residents said Wednesday’s shooting has left them considering whether to move.
The latest investigation remains active as authorities continue examining the shooting, the suspect’s actions and the officers’ use of force.
Officials have not indicated that there is an ongoing threat to the wider Minneapolis community connected to the shooting.
