A 34-year-old man visiting the Twin Cities for a wedding celebration was one of four people hit by gunfire near the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis over the weekend, say family and friends, who described him as an innocent bystander.
Tyler King, of Nashville, was hit in the face by gunfire that also sent three other people to the hospital late Saturday, according to the family and an online fundraising effort started by his friends on behalf of his wife and children to cover expenses related to the shooting.
The posting said King was hospitalized after suffering a stroke and bleeding on the brain. Another webpage started by those close to King said he's had surgery to relieve swelling on the brain. A spokesman for HCMC said Tuesday morning that King was in critical condition.
Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting, which occurred about 11 p.m. across the Mississippi River from downtown near Main Street and SE. 6th Avenue. Police said a fight within a large group preceded the gunfire.
An 18-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl also were shot and suffered wounds that police said were not life-threatening. Police are declining to identify them or say anything more about what role, if any, they had in the fight.
Garrett Parten, a police spokesman, said Sunday that officers arrived to "a chaotic scene. While working to locate and secure a possible scene ... Multiple fights broke out from within the large crowd. Officers worked together to secure the scene and establish crowd control."
In a follow-up Tuesday afternoon, Parten said, "At this point there is nothing additional MPD has to add" about the investigation's findings so far.
Parten said that initial findings indicate "that a crowd of people and vehicles was gathered near the intersection when gunfire erupted. This gathering was not a scheduled or official event."
Mayor Jacob Frey, speaking Monday at a news conference announcing the recommendations from the city's Community Safety Working Group, said in reaction to the shooting, "Look, it's horrific when it happens [near] the Stone Arch Bridge, it's horrific when it happens on the North Side.
"The kind of gun violence that we've seen nationwide over the last couple of years is not just unacceptable. It has a massive impact on [the] community for the long haul."
According to the latest data from the Police Department, reports of serious crime are unusual within several blocks of the scene. Saturday night's shooting is the first in the past two years to be classified as an assault with a weapon to occur in that area.
In those two years, according to the data, there also have been more than a dozen thefts — mostly involving vehicles — one robbery and one burglary.
A statement from King's family issued Monday said he was among friends and family Saturday night at a home in Minneapolis to celebrate the wedding of his wife's sister in the coming week.
Exercising "normal safety precautions, Tyler and his brother-in-law left the residence to walk one of the women with the group to her car," the statement read. "The street where they were walking was quiet at that time, and they did not see other people nearby, though they did see a large gathering 3-4 blocks away.
"As they were walking, randomly there was the sound of 30 gunshots, and Tyler was struck by a bullet in the side of his head."
The GoFundMe posting Monday said King is receiving care from "a nationally recognized medical team dedicated to emergency trauma care. The way Tyler's body responds in the next 24-48 hours will be critical in determining his long term prognosis."
King and his wife grew up in the Twin Cities and are raising two boys in Nashville, where he works for the Belle Plaine-based Cambria countertop manufacturer, the family statement read.
Police said that anyone with information including audio or video footage related to the shooting should call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips may be submitted electronically at CrimeStoppersMN.org. All tips are anonymous, and anyone providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a reward.
Star Tribune staff writer Andy Mannix contributed to this report.
