Two shootings in Minneapolis likely are connected, police say

Updated: 6:20 p.m., September 17

A Minneapolis teen died in one of two shootings that occurred Tuesday in north Minneapolis.

The two separate shootings, which took place four hours and seven blocks apart from each other Tuesday night, are connected, police say.

Jamario Langston, 17, of Minneapolis, was fatally wounded in the 2300 block of Fremont Avenue North, where police responded to a report of shots fired at 3:38 p.m. Tuesday.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office later identified Langston and said he died of multiple gunshot wounds. A 16-year-old was shot in the leg and taken to North Memorial Medical Center.

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Javelle Gresham said his cousins were the victims of the shooting on Fremont. He said they were brothers.

"My cousin didn't deserve to get killed," he said, fighting back tears. "These are young kids."

Gresham asked people to join together and help guide young people so they can learn how to solve disputes without guns.

"Join in with the community, stop these young kids from all this violence and this shooting and all this unnecessary stuff," he said. "It's not worth it. You'll never get nowhere. This is what we end up with."

Four hours later, police responded to another shooting seven blocks away, near Girard Avenue North and 30th Avenue North.

"There was an individual walking down the road, received a gunshot wound to the head and was hospitalized, transported by ambulance," Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder said. "He was able to walk to the ambulance and talk to the ambulance folks."

Elder said that teen was taken to North Memorial Medical Center where he was in critical condition. He said could not say how the two shootings are linked because it is early in the investigation.

Two separate investigation teams are working the two shootings, but collaborating, Elder said. No arrests have been made.