Minneapolis continues to contend with unprecedented gun violence amid policing debate

[question everything]

At least 275 people have been victims of gunfire in Minneapolis so far this year, eclipsing the entire annual totals of all but two of the past 10 years, according to Police Department records. Gun violence tends to spike in the city every year during the hot summer months, but this year’s surge in shootings dating back to the unrest after the death of George Floyd is worse than usual.

MPD records show that 269 people were shot in Minneapolis in all of 2019 — a grim milestone that the city reached on July 20 this year. The shooting tally is also nearly 60% higher than the five-year average for this time of the year, records show.

The city’s 37 homicides have also nearly doubled from this time last year. Victims were mostly concentrated in the Fourth and Third precincts. They included a 14-year-old girl who was grazed by a wayward bullet while she lay in bed and a taxi driver who was killed when he confronted two men breaking into his cab.

The recent upswing in violence has factored into a fierce debate over the future of policing in Minneapolis, as elsewhere, sparked by Floyd’s death and the ensuing riots: Some law enforcement groups and their supporters have cited the spiking gun violence as reminiscent of the “Murderapolis” era of the mid-90s, while activists argue that the recent bloodshed is proof that the existing public safety system isn’t working.

(snip)

Some criminologists say the causes are unchanged — inadequate housing, systemic racism, poverty and other forms of neglect, coupled with a seemingly bottomless supply of illegal firearms. Adding to that combustible mixture is the pandemic and the unrest following Floyd’s death, they say. Additionally, authorities say that violent crime tends to escalate around this time of the year, not only because warmer weather is drawing more people outside, but because the summer months have so many death anniversaries of slain high-profile gang members.

https://www.startribune.com/record-mpls-gun-violence-comes-amid-policing-debate/571900122/

[Me.]

1. This May Sound Like Conspiracy

But are outside forces involved in this? Where are all these weapons coming from, who is paying to bring them in? Follow the money.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. This is a Turf War.

With the Cops playing their games,the Asian and Hispanic as well as the AA gangs are settling scores once again. This is not the First time.

When it comes to Guns. Hey,this time of year is Gun show Season and knowing a little bit on how that plays out,you got the cash,I got the goods. There seems to be a endless supply coming from all kinds of sources both rural and via the Freeway network from Nevada,Idaho,Texas and other states with lax purchase laws as well as tons of Gun shows. BTW,the next door state of South Dakota is wide open when it comes to guns.

[llashram]

3. so you're saying

there are no outside agents creating problems to make others seem at fault. Agents provocateurs as it were. I know Portland has a lot of them now. All cities controlled by Democrats now have them, Trump even said he was doing that. Planting his agents in those cities where they will stir up troubles. Naw it's not all gang-related even with the media spinning it as such.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Agents,do not know.

Just know about players in the Gun Show as well as the Internet sales game. And how cash is king. Provocateurs do not know,our source is gone from the PD. PTSD took his life.

[progree]

5. Oh I doubt it. I've been following the local news intensely for decades

and I doubt very much some outsiders are causing minority gang members or individuals to shoot each other.

Yes, I can believe the agent provocateur theory in a lot of the arsons in the George Floyd riots, but I don't buy it for the shootings in the north and south side that have gone on for many decades, and the shooters and victims are minority and local in the vast number of cases.

I know this doesn't sound "progressive", but part of being progressive is being reality-based, and there's not a shred of evidence ever presented that these killings were provoked by outside forces, other than greedy gun dealers making guns easily available -- that part I will acknowledge.

And I will acknowledge that there is a *lot* of systemic racism that in large part is a cause of the economic misery of these neighborhoods that leads to above average levels of violence.

So yeah, in these two regards, there has been a setup by outsiders.

But in the shootings, I don't believe there's an equivalent of the white guy with the umbrella and crowbar breaking windows at Autozone.

[llashram]

7. keep doubting

keep minimizing and pinning the demons. Your right.

[progree]

8. I will keep doubting, as well I should, until someone presents a shred of evidence.

or even a plausible theory (are some boogaloos really organizing the gangs and setting them up to go after each other? And they have been doing this for generations? )

Other than the general systemic issues of racism and economic injustice and porous gun regulations I've mentioned in my preceding post. I'm all ears as to what else there is that has been causing this violence to go on for generations.

On Edit - dflprincess brought up a good point that's got me thinking about the police. I certainly wonder and worry how policing will change post-Floyd where I suspect more than a few will just do the minimum because they are disgruntled and feel that's the best way to stay out of trouble.

[dflprincess]

6. It's not impossible

or it could be the MPD just sitting back and not doing anything about the violence. Though in that case they might be passively working as agent provocateurs. (And passive aggressive is sooo Minnesotan)