Newly released body camera footage is giving a closer look at the moments Minneapolis police officers encountered gunfire while responding to the deadly shooting at Shoreline Plaza earlier this month.
The shooting happened Sept. 2 at the apartment complex near downtown Minneapolis. The incident left three people dead, including the suspected gunman, and several others injured.
The footage shows officers moving quickly through the building and heading toward the ninth floor after reports of gunfire. As they searched the hallway, 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson II suddenly appeared from around a corner and fired at officers from close range.
Officer Joseph Michnowski was struck twice in the abdomen during the exchange. Despite being wounded, he continued moving and communicating with other officers.
“Shooter’s on the ninth floor. I took some rounds,” Michnowski can be heard saying in the released footage.
A separate body camera view captures another part of the confrontation moments later. Officers can be heard communicating with each other as they tried to locate Michnowski and respond to the continuing gunfire.
At one point, a cloud of haze fills part of the hallway. Investigators previously said the haze was likely caused by a fire extinguisher that was struck by gunfire.
Officer Yahye Ahmed was also wounded, suffering a gunshot injury to his leg. He was released from the hospital shortly after the shooting. Minneapolis police later confirmed that Michnowski had also been released and was recovering at home.
The confrontation ended when Johnson was fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire with police. A handgun was recovered from the ninth-floor area.
The shooting began earlier that afternoon during a child custody exchange outside the apartment building, according to investigators. Johnson shot the mother of his child before entering the building, where additional people were wounded.
Two residents on the ninth floor, 61-year-old Muse Abdi Afrah and 63-year-old Dale Henry Spry, were killed. Building employees were also among those wounded during the attack.
Court records released during the investigation have provided additional details about Johnson’s circumstances before the shooting. He had been involved in eviction proceedings at the apartment complex following several incidents involving threats, an alleged assault and the display of a firearm.
Investigators also found ammunition and other firearm-related items in Johnson’s apartment, according to recently unsealed court documents. The filings indicate that at least 25 shots were fired by Johnson during the incident, while police fired at least 30 rounds during the confrontation.
The newly released body camera footage does not change the basic timeline investigators previously established, but it provides a more direct view of how quickly officers encountered the gunman after reaching the ninth floor.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is continuing to investigate the shooting, including the circumstances surrounding the exchange of gunfire between Johnson and responding officers.
