A man is recovering after being shot while sitting inside a vehicle in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, where hundreds of homeless people have set up camp ever since neighbors made a pact not to call the police in the wake of the George Floyd protests.
Police said the victim was in a vehicle on the eastern border of Powderhorn Park when a man walked up and shot him through the window. The victim was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center and is expected to survive, KARE 11 reported.
It’s the latest in a spate of violence in the majority-White neighborhood that has embraced the “defund the police” movement, allowing hundreds of homeless people to set up camp in the neighborhood’s eponymous park while vowing not to speak with law enforcement.
Another man was shot and wounded on the other side of the park on Tuesday and at least three sexual assaults have been reported in the area since the homeless encampment went up in mid-June.
Thursday’s shooting came just hours after the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted to reduce the number of tents to 25 in each of the city’s parks because of crime.
The eviction process has started by kindly asking residents to leave, FOX 9 reported. In Powderhorn Park, the number has dropped by about 40, down from as many as 560, the outlet reported. No deadline is set for when the residents must leave and it’s not clear what will happen if they refuse.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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