Thirteen people were wounded in two separate mass shootings that occurred within 12 hours at homeless encampments in Minneapolis on September 15, 2025, with authorities investigating a possible connection between the incidents.
The first shooting took place just after 11 a.m. near the intersection of East Lake Street and Stevens Avenue, leaving five people injured including one in life-threatening condition. The second and more deadly incident occurred around 10 p.m. at a homeless encampment on South 28th Avenue and East Lake Street, where eight people were shot and an estimated 30 shots were fired.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara indicated that the evening shooting unfolded when an officer working at a nearby Target store was approached by multiple people running from the encampment and reporting gunfire. Upon arrival, officers found five people wounded, including two individuals discovered inside tents suffering from bullet wounds to the head. Three additional gunshot victims arrived at hospitals independently.
At least four of the victims sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds. Multiple shell casings were recovered from the scene, leading investigators to believe that someone inside the encampment exchanged gunfire with the shooter. A fire broke out in one of the tents while police were on scene, requiring firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
The shootings marked the fourth and fifth mass shootings to occur in Minneapolis in three weeks, including an August 27 incident at Annunciation Catholic School that left two children dead and 21 people injured. Mayor Jacob Frey characterized the violence as tragic and unacceptable, though he noted it was not surprising given recent patterns.
The evening shooting occurred at an encampment that has been the center of a prolonged legal dispute between the city and property owner Hamoudi Sabri. Frey explained that the city had been attempting to clear the encampment for months due to safety concerns, but efforts were met with resistance from the property owner. The Minneapolis City Council had approved filing a civil lawsuit against Sabri on September 8, seeking to force closure of the site.
Following the shootings, the city moved quickly to clear the encampment. Between 70 and 75 people were living at the site prior to the incident, though only about 30 remained after the shooting. City officials offered services including shelter to displaced residents, with one person accepting the assistance.
Subsequent investigation revealed the shooting stemmed from a dispute over drug territory within the encampment. Trivon Leonard Jr., a 26-year-old from Richton Park, Illinois, was charged with first-degree riot and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the incident. Leonard, who has multiple felony convictions in Illinois where he remains on parole, had been released from Hennepin County jail approximately four hours before the shooting after being arrested for allegedly driving drunk at 92 miles per hour.
According to court documents, witnesses reported that Leonard arrived with a group of Illinois drug dealers who had recently moved their operation to Minneapolis after the city closed their previous location near the Midtown Greenway. A victim told investigators he had gone to the encampment to purchase drugs and witnessed an argument between two groups over who was allowed to sell narcotics in the area.
The dispute escalated when the new group of dealers allegedly pulled out weapons under a canopy structure. Surveillance footage captured Leonard fleeing the scene with a gun, hopping a fence and getting into a Hyundai. When arrested, Leonard allegedly possessed two bags of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine, 1,000 dollars in cash, and a fake Illinois identification card.
Leonard initially denied involvement but later admitted to police that he was part of a five-person crew from Illinois who came to Minneapolis to sell drugs. He told investigators that once shooting began, everyone started firing, and he subsequently sold his weapon on Lake Street for 200 dollars after fleeing.
The violence claimed the life of 30-year-old Jacinda Oakgrove, who died at the hospital on September 18 after being shot in the head. A witness who knew Oakgrove told police she had nothing to do with the drug dispute. When shown Oakgrove’s photograph, Leonard was reportedly evasive and “showed zero remorse” regarding her death.
Leonard appeared in court where his bail was set at one million dollars. He has been arrested multiple times since June 25 on charges including first-degree drug possession, driving without a license, and driving while intoxicated. His criminal history in Illinois includes felony convictions for robbery, drug possession, property damage, cruelty to animals, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Property owner Sabri criticized the city’s response, arguing that officials should provide grief counselors and emergency hotel beds rather than simply displacing homeless individuals. He maintained that the encampment existed because the city lacks adequate low-barrier shelter options and navigation centers for the homeless population.
The investigation into both shootings continues, with police working to determine the full sequence of events and whether additional suspects were involved. O’Hara noted that environments where drug use is prevalent create conditions where disputes cannot be resolved through normal legal channels, leading to violent confrontations.
