Officer-involved shooting shuts busy Brooklyn Center hub
Brooklyn Center police and multiple agencies are investigating an officer-involved shooting Monday afternoon near Xerxes Avenue North and 56th Avenue North, a commercial cluster that includes IHOP, Wendy’s, Wells Fargo, Taco Bell and Cub Foods. FOX 9 reporters at the scene counted at least six shell casings, and the intersection has been closed for what police say will be an extended period while the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and ATF process the scene, a standard step when law enforcement fires shots. City officials have released almost no details on who was shot or their condition, but community members told FOX 9 they believe the incident is linked to a separate double homicide in north Minneapolis earlier in the day, though that has not been officially confirmed. Brooklyn Center Mayor April Groves issued a statement calling the shooting "deeply concerning," promising a thorough, independent, fact‑driven investigation and acknowledging the emotional weight of another police shooting in a city still marked by Daunte Wright’s 2021 killing and weeks of protests. Social media posts from the scene show heavy squad presence and residents urging each other to avoid the area as traffic and bus routes are disrupted.
📌 Key Facts
- Brooklyn Center police confirmed an officer-involved shooting near Xerxes Ave N and 56th Ave N on Monday afternoon.
- The area around IHOP, Wendy’s, Wells Fargo, Taco Bell and Cub Foods is closed, and FOX 9 saw at least six shell casings on the ground.
- The Minnesota BCA and ATF have responded, and Mayor April Groves has called for a transparent investigation while residents recall the city’s history with the Daunte Wright shooting.
📊 Relevant Data
Brooklyn Center, MN, has experienced significant demographic changes due to Somali refugee resettlement, with the Black or African American population comprising 33.95% of residents in 2023, up from lower percentages in previous decades, largely driven by federal refugee policies and voluntary agencies facilitating immigration from Somalia.
Brooklyn Center, MN Population by Race & Ethnicity - 2025 Update — Neilsberg Research
In Minnesota, Black individuals are overrepresented in homicide offenses; in 2022, 66% of known murder perpetrators were Black, while comprising about 7% of the state's population, resulting in a per capita rate significantly higher than other groups.
The demographics of crime in Minnesota, with updated 2022 data — American Experiment
Black residents in Minneapolis are overrepresented as both victims and offenders in homicides; according to Department of Justice data, Black individuals account for a disproportionate share of serious violent crime involvement compared to their 19% population share in the city.
Maligning Minneapolis — City Journal
In Minnesota, officer-involved shootings from 2015-2024 show Black individuals fatally shot by police at a rate 3 times higher than White individuals per capita, with 25% of victims being Black despite comprising 7% of the population.
Police shootings database 2015-2024 — The Washington Post
North Minneapolis has seen a concentration of homicides, with 2024 data indicating that a majority of victims and suspects in violent crimes are under 35 and disproportionately from minority groups, linked to socioeconomic factors like poverty rates in the area.
2024 BCA Uniform Crime Report — Minnesota Department of Public Safety
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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