Downtown Minneapolis is still absorbing what happened on the ninth floor of a high-rise near Loring Park. On Wednesday afternoon, a gunman opened fire inside the Loring Towers apartment complex, killing two residents and wounding six other people, including three police officers, before turning the gun on himself. It is one of the deadliest shootings the city has seen in years, and by Thursday morning it had already pulled in the FBI, the ATF, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and Minnesota’s governor.
Here is what’s confirmed so far, where it happened, who was involved, and what investigators are still trying to piece together.
What Happened
The first 911 call came in around 4:36 p.m. on Wednesday, reporting shots fired inside an apartment tower on the 15 East Grant Street block, just off the edge of downtown near the Minneapolis Convention Center. Officers arrived within roughly two minutes and pushed straight into the building rather than waiting outside, a decision that put them directly in the path of the gunfire.
Once inside, police found a victim already down and kept hearing shots coming from somewhere above them. They followed the sound up to a higher floor, where thick smoke or haze had settled in the hallway and cut visibility down to almost nothing. It was in that haze that three officers were hurt. Two were shot directly, one in the stomach and one in the leg, while a third suffered a non-life-threatening injury. All three were listed in stable condition at Hennepin County Medical Center by Wednesday evening.
By the time the building was cleared, two people were confirmed dead: one killed at the scene and another who died after being rushed to hospital. The gunman was also found dead, and investigators believe he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In total, seven people were taken to hospital, several with injuries described as serious.
Where the Shooting Took Place
The shooting happened inside Loring Towers, a residential high-rise a few blocks from Loring Park, one of downtown Minneapolis’s most walkable and densely populated neighborhoods. The building sits close enough to the Minneapolis Convention Center that officials issued a shelter-in-place style warning asking nearby residents to stay clear of the area while tactical teams worked through the tower floor by floor.
Video shared on social media on Wednesday showed officers with rifles raised toward the upper floors of the building, along with armored vehicles and a heavy SWAT presence gathered outside. Aerial footage from local news helicopters captured the scale of the response, with streets around the complex blocked off well into the evening.
This is notably not the first violent incident at Loring Towers. Just under a year earlier, in late September, a shooting inside the same building left two men dead after an argument between residents who reportedly knew each other. That case ended in an arrest. Residents this week were left wondering how a second deadly shooting could happen in the same complex in less than twelve months.
Who Is the Suspect
Multiple law enforcement sources have identified the gunman as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson II, a resident of the ninth floor at Loring Towers since March 2025. Court records reviewed by local outlets paint a picture of a tenant management had been trying to remove from the building for months.
According to filings from the building’s management company, Johnson had racked up a string of disturbing incidents dating back to January. In one, he allegedly walked through the property with a firearm visibly displayed. In another, from mid-June, he reportedly lifted his shirt to show a security officer he was carrying a gun and made verbal threats. Court documents also describe an assault on a fellow resident earlier this year, and neighbors told reporters they had raised concerns about him well before Wednesday.
Management moved to evict Johnson after the June incident, but he was initially given a second chance on the condition that he keep any firearm concealed on the property. Records show it’s still unclear exactly what changed later that month that led the company to proceed with a formal eviction. A court hearing on the eviction had been pushed back once already and was scheduled for September 11, just over a week after the shooting.
Separately, Johnson has an older record: a 2018 case in which he was accused of assaulting a sibling and allegedly hinted he had a gun and wasn’t afraid to use it. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of property destruction, served four days in jail, and was placed on probation. At sentencing, a judge reportedly noted concerns about his temper.
Police have not formally confirmed a motive. Sources briefed on the investigation told reporters the shooting may have started as a domestic-style dispute between Johnson and one of the victims, and that his eviction was finalized earlier the same day the shooting occurred. Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson said officers were already familiar with Johnson from prior calls to the building.
Police and Government Response
Minneapolis Police Sgt. Garrett Parten led the public updates through Wednesday evening, walking reporters through the timeline from the first 911 call to the discovery of victims on the upper floor. The FBI confirmed it was assisting local police, with Director Kash Patel saying the bureau would provide whatever resources were needed. Agents from the ATF also responded to the scene.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz posted that state resources were being made available to support the local response, thanking officers for their work “to ensure the safety of our neighbors in Downtown Minneapolis.” Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth also issued a statement expressing support for the victims and first responders.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office is working alongside Minneapolis police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to build out the full picture of what happened, and asked anyone with information to come forward.
What Residents Saw
Several people who live in the building described chaotic, frightening minutes as the shooting unfolded. One resident said he was sitting outside the building when he heard gunfire and recognized a man he knew as another tenant holding a pistol. Another resident said he heard a rapid burst of shots, ran outside immediately, and believed he already knew who was responsible, having reported an earlier encounter with the same man carrying a handgun in a hallway to building management just days before.
A woman who was heading down to the lobby when the shooting started told a local TV crew she heard gunfire, saw someone on the ground, and left the building right away rather than risk getting caught up in what was happening. She estimated hearing roughly 25 to 30 shots in total once officers arrived and began exchanging fire or clearing the building.
Latest Updates
As of Thursday, the injured officers remain in stable condition, and the two civilian victims killed in the shooting have not yet been publicly identified by name. Investigators are continuing to review the eviction case file, prior police calls to the building, and Johnson’s history to determine what triggered the attack. No additional suspects are being sought, since authorities believe Johnson acted alone and died by suicide during the confrontation with police.
This is a developing story, and details around the victims’ identities, the officers’ recovery, and the final investigative findings are expected to be updated as Hennepin County officials release more information in the coming days.
