Minneapolis mass shooting suspect faced eviction over gun threats before attack

Carlton Neal Johnson, suspected of killing two residents and injuring six others in a Minneapolis apartment complex, was facing eviction over repeated firearm incidents. Two police officers were among the wounded.

Minneapolis gunman had been served eviction notice weeks before deadly apartment shooting

Google News MT reports that the man believed to have carried out a mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment complex on Wednesday had been facing eviction following a series of escalating incidents involving a firearm — including brandishing a gun at staff and residents in the weeks leading up to the attack.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans identified the suspect at a Thursday afternoon press conference as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson, though he noted that confirmation still awaits the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy was underway, and Evans said he believes Johnson "died in an exchange of gunfire."

Two residents were killed: 61-year-old Muse Afrah and 63-year-old Dale Henry Spry. Six others were injured, including two police officers and a property manager.

Eviction notice listed six incidents in six months

Johnson had signed a lease at Shoreline Plaza — formerly known as Loring Towers, located at 15 East Grant Street — in March 2025. On June 16, a law firm representing the complex sent him a termination letter stating his lease would end on June 29.

The letter documented six incidents beginning in January. In March, Johnson allegedly assaulted a resident on the premises. On June 11, he entered the management office and openly displayed a firearm to staff. Around the same time, he told multiple residents he had obtained a new gun. Two days later, court records state, he flashed the weapon to people on a nearby sidewalk.

Johnson subsequently contacted management requesting a second chance. A follow-up letter from the law firm instructed him not to display firearms on the premises and to comply with Minnesota's concealed carry laws.

The eviction complaint states Johnson "continued to breach the lease and last chance directive." On June 19, he made what were described as "concerning verbal statements" about using a gun to a security officer, lifting his shirt to show the weapon. On June 25, he walked around the block with the firearm visibly displayed and brandished it at another resident in a common area.

Police were called following that incident. According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Johnson held a legal permit to carry, and while he had displayed the weapon, it had not left his waistband. Prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to charge him — the same reason Minnesota's Red Flag law, which allows courts to remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others, was not applied. Other courts, however, had previously deemed Johnson a threat: court documents show he was also the subject of a restraining order, after the 27-year-old mother of his child reported he had sent more than 120 text messages containing "vulgar insults and threats" from ten different phone numbers between March 6 and March 10, 2023.

Sources told WCCO that Johnson had been formally evicted from the apartment on the morning of Wednesday's shooting. Court records also show he was scheduled for trial with a hearing set for September 11.

Two officers wounded; one still hospitalised

Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said at a Wednesday press conference that officers were already familiar with the suspected shooter. Mayor Jacob Frey and Peterson gave a further update on the injured officers Thursday afternoon.

Officer Joseph Michnowski was shot twice in the stomach and underwent surgery Wednesday. He remained hospitalised as of late Thursday. Officer Yahye Ahmed, shot in the leg, was discharged early Thursday afternoon. A third officer sustained injuries to his hand when he broke the window of a locked squad car to disable its siren.

Property manager Jan Peterson, who was shot and is expected to survive, was described by resident Albert Morse as someone who had offered him help during a difficult period. "Jan is a very nice person, and she helped me when I didn't have no other help," Morse said. "She was a terrific person to me."

Residents and nearby workers recount the shooting

Brian Swedberg, a resident of Shoreline Plaza, said he had been outside the building when gunfire broke out and returned to find a victim in the main entrance. "Came through the door, seeing all the blood and everything. There was a victim lying in the main entry," he said. He added that he could hear a third person behind a closed door calling 911.

Swedberg, a former Marine, said he was confined to his apartment for more than 15 hours. "I just continue to pray for those victims and everybody that was involved. There's a lot of people that are stressed out in the building," he said, while also expressing gratitude for the speed of the emergency response.

Across the street, Kody Kolb, executive chef at Nicollet Diner, locked the premises after an employee arrived for her shift just as shots were being fired. He called other staff members to tell them not to come in. "It's scary, there's bullets going everywhere. At this point you don't know where the guy is, you don't know if he's on the roof," Kolb said. The diner remained on lockdown for two hours with employees and customers inside. "I'm just happy none of my employees got hurt. My heart goes out to the victims' families and everyone, including the shooter," he added.

The BCA confirmed it will specifically investigate the officers' use of force as part of its inquiry into the incident.

Source: Google News MT