46 Minnesota agencies coordinate response to suburban gang shootings

A coalition of 46 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies is preparing a coordinated framework to address a surge in gang- and group-related shootings and violence in Minnesota’s Twin Cities suburbs. The effort will combine agencies’ resources, including those of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, FBI, ATF and Bloomington police, with work already underway as agreements are finalized. The plan follows several high-profile incidents, including shootings in Edina, Eden Prairie and Bloomington; police have described some as linked to conflicts among loosely organized groups of Somali teenagers and young adults, often fueled by social media disputes. That characterization has drawn both support and concern that focusing on Somali gangs could unfairly stigmatize a broader community for the actions of a small number of young people.