The confirmed timeline

A 911 call reporting shots fired reached Minneapolis authorities shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2. The location was Shoreline Plaza, the downtown apartment building formerly known as Loring Towers, at 15 East Grant Street near Loring Park and the Minneapolis Convention Center. Officers entered the building within minutes, encountered injured people and followed additional gunfire toward an upper floor.

By the end of the response, two residents and the suspected gunman were dead. Authorities identified the residents as Dale Henry Spry, 63, and Muse Abdi Afrah, 61. Multiple other people were hurt, including two officers who were shot and another officer injured during the response. Early reports counted the wounded differently as hospitals and agencies reconciled information; later reporting described six injured in total. Officials said the officers were expected to recover.

Who authorities identified

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the suspected shooter as Carlton Neal Johnson II, 35, of Minneapolis. Investigators said the shooting appeared to begin during a child-custody handoff outside or near the building entrance. A woman believed to be the mother of Johnson’s child was wounded. Authorities described the episode as connected to domestic violence before gunfire continued inside the building.

The BCA said Johnson died during an exchange of gunfire with Minneapolis officers on the ninth floor. Some initial local reports, citing unnamed sources, said he might have died from a self-inflicted wound. The later on-record BCA account is the appropriate version to use while the investigation and medical findings continue. That discrepancy is a reminder to distinguish a preliminary source report from an official investigative statement.

What court and housing records showed

Court documents reviewed by MPR News, the Minnesota Star Tribune and other local outlets showed that building management had filed an eviction complaint against Johnson in June. The complaint alleged threatening behavior, displaying a firearm and an assault on another resident. A neighbor had also sought a restraining order, saying Johnson had threatened him with a handgun. An eviction trial was scheduled for September 11.

Those records establish that allegations and warning signs existed; they do not, by themselves, answer why no earlier intervention prevented the shooting. The Associated Press reported that police had investigated a June incident involving a displayed weapon, but the county attorney’s office did not file charges. Reviewing how agencies handled prior reports will likely be part of the broader public-accountability discussion, separate from the BCA’s use-of-force investigation.

Why “active shooter” alerts persisted

During the emergency, officials urged people to avoid the densely populated Loring Park area. Social posts and television updates used “active shooter” language while officers were searching the building and the threat status was uncertain. That was real-time safety guidance, not the current condition. The immediate active threat ended Wednesday. People searching “Minneapolis shooting today” days later may still encounter cached alerts, clipped video and posts without timestamps.

For reliable updates, check the date and use named sources such as the Minneapolis Police Department, Minnesota BCA, MPR News, WCCO/CBS Minnesota and the Star Tribune. Avoid resharing names of alleged victims before official notification, graphic imagery or unsupported claims about motive. In a fast-moving event, responsible reporting sometimes says what is not yet known.

What remains under investigation

Investigators still have to document the precise sequence of shots, determine which rounds caused which injuries, complete autopsies, review officer body-camera footage and examine how the suspect obtained and possessed his firearm. The BCA is responsible for reviewing the police use of force. Officials may revise details as physical evidence is analyzed.

The durable facts are devastating enough without embellishment: two residents were killed in their home, several civilians and officers were injured, and a custody exchange escalated into violence across a high-rise. Readers directly affected by domestic violence can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE or text START to 88788. In an immediate emergency, call 911.