On November 22, 2013, officers responded to a report of a person down in the alley at 39th St W/Pleasant Av S. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Derek Holt, to be deceased. The cause was a gunshot wound to the head. A suspect has not been arrested, however, a person of interest has been identified. This incident was not a random event and the Minneapolis Police Department does not believe that public is at risk.
On January 23, 2014, officers responded to the area of 45th St E/1st Av S on a report of gunfire. The victim, Darnell Harris, suffered a fatal gunshot wound. The suspect, Brandon Bell, has since been arrested.
At the 2/18/2014 Kingfield Neighborhood Crime Prevention and Safety meeting, Inspector Loining provided the following update:
As with the homicide in November, the victim in the January shooting knew the suspect as a result of their criminal activities. This second homicide occurred when the victim and suspect came off of the highway and drove into our neighborhood. Although the incident was very alarming, Insp. Loining reassured the neighbors that neither of these crimes were directed toward our neighborhood, it is unfortunate (for us and the victims) that our area was chosen in which to commit these crimes. Â