Man who carried out deadly Minneapolis apartment shooting was investigated for handgun in June, officials say

Man Who Carried Out Deadly Minneapolis Shooting

Healfromzero.com – The man who carried out deadly gunfire at a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex on Wednesday evening left three people dead and five others wounded before officers shot and killed him. Carlton Johnson, the gunman, opened fire during what had been arranged as a routine custody handoff between two residents. Two building occupants were killed on the ninth floor, and a woman believed to be the mother of Johnson’s child was struck near the entrance. The child was unharmed. Three Minneapolis police officers were also wounded during the response.

County prosecutors later revealed that the man who carried out deadly violence in that hallway had been under informal scrutiny just weeks earlier. A June encounter in which Johnson displayed a handgun to another resident prompted a police response and a brief investigation, but no charges were ultimately filed.

The June Handgun Display and Why No Charges Followed

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty confirmed Thursday that her office reviewed the June 25 incident after Minneapolis Police verified Johnson held a valid carry permit. In a written statement, Moriarty explained that Johnson showed the firearm to another person but did not remove it from his waistband. The office concluded there was “insufficient evidence to prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” and the matter closed without prosecution.

“He displayed the weapon but it did not leave his waistband,” Moriarty said, framing the decision as a standard evidentiary call rather than a policy choice.

Court filings connected to the shooting also showed that Johnson faced an eviction at the time and had threatened a fellow resident with a gun during the months before Wednesday. The interval between that June display and the fatal exchange has drawn scrutiny over how Minneapolis monitors permit holders who brandish firearms in shared residential corridors.

Sequence of Fire and Officer Response

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, walked reporters through the timeline Thursday. Johnson first fired at the woman near the entrance, then turned on two building employees and shot both before stepping into an elevator. On the ninth floor he killed two residents; Evans said investigators had not yet determined whether those two were specifically targeted or simply present in the hallway. Officers arriving within minutes engaged Johnson in a return exchange of fire and killed him.

Three officers were hospitalized. One took a round to the leg, another sustained two abdominal wounds, and a third was injured elsewhere during the operation. All three were expected to recover fully. Dozens of additional officers and a mobile crime-scene unit from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension remained at the building Thursday, combing the site for shell casings and other evidence.

“This is once again a situation where domestic violence is central to a really terrible situation,” Evans told reporters, placing the event within the broader pattern of household conflicts that escalate into public gunfire.

What Residents Heard and Saw

Julius Bailey, who moved into the building in June, was sitting with a friend just outside the entrance when the first shots broke. He recognized the gunman as another resident, heard a woman screaming, and began running, counting eight shots as he put distance between himself and the gunfire. Bailey described Johnson as a figure well known in the building for aggressive behavior and for showing off his weapon, saying he had gone out of his way to avoid him since moving in.

“I could tell he was trouble,” Bailey said.

Chris Miller, another resident, heard what he described as a rapid succession of gunshots and bolted outside. Miller said he believed he knew who was responsible and recounted encountering a person with a handgun in the hallway earlier that same week, reporting the sighting to building management.

Displacement and Neighborhood Fallout

Minneapolis council member Elizabeth Shaffer, who represents the district where the shooting occurred, said 16 displaced residents took shelter overnight in a nearby church. The American Red Cross was on site providing logistical and emotional support to those forced from their units. Shaffer noted that her office had received no prior constituent complaints about safety conditions or building management in the weeks before the incident.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the man who carried out deadly Minneapolis apartment shooting charged before Wednesday? No. Hennepin County prosecutors investigated a June 25 handgun display but filed no charges, citing insufficient evidence to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

How many people were killed or injured? Three people were killed — two residents on the ninth floor and Johnson himself, who was shot by officers. Five others were wounded, including three police officers and two civilians.

What triggered the shooting? Officials described the initial confrontation as an arranged custody handoff between two residents that escalated into sustained gunfire. Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent Drew Evans characterized the event as rooted in domestic violence.

What happened to displaced residents? Sixteen residents took shelter in a nearby church overnight. The American Red Cross provided on-site logistical and emotional support, and building management coordinated rehousing for those unable to return to their units.