A man was shot Tuesday at a homeless encampment in Powderhorn Park, the latest incident in the tent community that has sprung up in Minnesota's largest city.
About 1:50 p.m., Minneapolis park police responded to a 911 call. When they arrived, they found a male victim with gunshot wounds to the arm and face, according to a park police spokeswoman.
He was transported to HCMC with noncritical injuries. The name and age of the man has not been released, and no arrests have been made, she said.
More than 280 people live in tents in the park, according to a survey conducted earlier this month for the Minneapolis Housing Finance Authority. Two encampments at the north end of the park were formed after homeless residents were evicted from a hotel-turned-shelter nearby in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd on May 25.
About half the people at the encampment had previously received homelessness services from Hennepin County, the survey found, and about 45% identify as Native American. Powderhorn is just one of about 100 such encampments across the city, officials said.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which administers city parks, this month voted down a resolution that could have restricted the size of encampments. City Council President Lisa Bender criticized that vote, saying large encampments could be unsafe and difficult to disperse.
The Powderhorn encampments have become untenable and brought in "dangerous, problematic and predatory behaviors," Park Board President Jono Cowgill said before voting to limit the encampments. Former residents said they have witnessed fights breaking out each day.
Earlier this month, a teen was sexually assaulted at a campsite in Powderhorn Park, while a teenager was shot several times near a tent encampment at Peavey Park in south Minneapolis.
