Authorities say the attack began during a child custody exchange before the gunman entered Shoreline Plaza and continued shooting.
MINNEAPOLIS — Two residents were killed and six other people were injured in a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building Wednesday after authorities say a 35-year-old gunman first shot the mother of his child during a custody exchange and then opened fire inside the complex.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officials on Thursday identified the residents who died as Muse Afrah, 61, and Dale Henry Spry, 63. Both lived at Shoreline Plaza, a high-rise at 15 E. Grant St. near Loring Park. Authorities identified the gunman as Carlton Neal Johnson. Investigators said Johnson died during an exchange of gunfire with responding Minneapolis police officers on the ninth floor of the building. The BCA is investigating the officers’ use of force.
BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said the violence began outside the apartment building during an exchange involving Johnson’s child. Investigators say Johnson shot the child’s mother before entering the building. The child was able to get away without being physically injured. Officers who arrived at the scene provided emergency aid to the wounded woman before continuing into the building as reports of additional gunfire came from inside.
Investigators say Johnson entered the first floor and shot two people who worked at the apartment complex. One employee was listed in critical condition Thursday, while the other was expected to recover. Evans said investigators had found no indication that Johnson specifically targeted the two workers. Johnson then took an elevator to the ninth floor, where he had an apartment.
Afrah and Spry were shot on the ninth floor. Authorities said they had no information showing that either resident was specifically targeted. Responding officers ran up the stairs toward the sound of gunfire and encountered Johnson in a hallway. Investigators say two exchanges of gunfire followed. Johnson died at the scene. A preliminary autopsy found that he died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to information released during the investigation.
Two Minneapolis police officers were wounded by gunfire during the confrontation. Officer Joseph Michnowski, a five-year department veteran, was shot twice in the abdomen and underwent surgery. He remained hospitalized Thursday afternoon. Officer Yahye Ahmed, who had served with the department for about a year and a half, was shot in the leg and was released from the hospital Thursday. Officials said both officers were expected to recover.
A third officer suffered cuts after breaking a window on a locked police vehicle to shut off its siren. Authorities also said four officers experienced adverse effects after encountering a haze inside the building. Mayor Jacob Frey said Thursday that the haze was believed to have come from a discharged or damaged fire extinguisher. Two additional officers were hurt in a squad-car crash while responding, although authorities had not immediately detailed the extent of those injuries.
Police were first alerted to the shooting shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Frey said dispatch had a squad car headed toward the scene within 44 seconds of the initial call and officers were entering the building about two minutes and 26 seconds after that first report. Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson said officers continued moving toward the gunfire after entering the high-rise. A large response involving city, county, state and federal agencies followed as officers secured the building and emergency crews treated victims.
Court records reviewed after the shooting show Johnson was facing eviction proceedings at Shoreline Plaza. Property representatives had accused him of a series of incidents involving other residents and displays of a firearm. Johnson denied allegations raised in the eviction proceeding. The case had been scheduled for a court hearing in September. Authorities have not said the housing dispute was a motive for the shooting.
Johnson had a legal permit to carry a firearm, according to officials and court-related reporting. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Minneapolis police had submitted a June 25 incident involving Johnson to prosecutors on Aug. 20 after he was accused of displaying a gun during a dispute. Her office determined the available evidence likely was not enough to prove a criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors also reviewed the incident for a possible Extreme Risk Protection Order but found insufficient evidence to seek one based on that case.
The shooting occurred at a property formerly known as Loring Towers, where police have handled numerous calls in recent years. Peterson said Thursday that police and building management had been working together and that conditions at the property had improved. The building was also the site of a separate shooting in September 2025 in which two men were killed.
Investigators were continuing to review evidence, firearm information and the sequence of events Thursday night. Authorities had not announced a motive, and the BCA was still working to determine which officers fired during the confrontation and other details surrounding Johnson’s death.
Author note: Last updated September 3, 2026.