Minneapolis records fifth homicide of the new year

A man was shot to death late Friday on a south Minneapolis street, the city's fifth homicide of 2010, in a week that saw more than one-fourth the death toll in all of 2009.

The shooting occurred just before 11 p.m. in the 3400 block of Chicago Avenue S., on the boundary of the Central and Powderhorn neighborhoods.

According to police spokesman Sgt. William Palmer, the victim, an adult male, was found lying on a sidewalk at Chicago Avenue S. and 34th Street E. by officers responding to reports of a shooting. Initial reports were that two people had been shot, but only one victim was found.

Emergency medics working in frigid conditions were unable to revive the man, and he was pronounced dead at the scene of apparent gunshot wounds, Palmer said early Saturday.

Parts of Chicago Avenue S. were closed to traffic well after midnight as officers using dogs searched for suspects in multiunit buildings, garages and alleys. No one had been arrested and no suspect information was available as of early Saturday, Palmer said. Anyone with information was asked to call 612-692-TIPS (8477).

Seven days, five homicides

Meanwhile, police continued their search for the killer or killers of three men slain Wednesday night at Seward Market and Halal Meats at E. Franklin Avenue and 25th Avenue S.

The victims, all East African immigrants, were identified by relatives as a store worker, Abdifatah Warfa; his cousin, Mohamed Warfa, and a customer, Anwar Mohammed. They were buried Friday in Burnsville amid an outpouring of grief from their immigrant community.

The flood of new-year homicides began on the evening of Jan. 2, when Dontae Johnson, 31, of Champlin, was found lying on the street in the 3800 block of N. 6th Street in the Webber-Camden neighborhood. A 32-year-old man was arrested this week in connection with Johnson's death.

Last year, Minneapolis had 19 homicides, 78 fewer than the record of 97 set in 1995.

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