The suspected gunman in a shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building, which resulted in two fatalities and three police officers injured, has been identified as Carlton Neal Johnson II, a 35-year-old resident of the building who was facing eviction, according to media reports.
Johnson, who also died during the incident on Wednesday, had resided at the Shoreline Plaza apartment complex since March 2025. Court records indicate he was facing eviction due to previous threatening statements. Allegations included assaulting another resident in March and openly displaying a firearm on the property in mid-June, entering the building’s management office and showing the weapon to staff. Johnson also reportedly told other residents he had acquired a new firearm and intended to harm someone.
He had denied the eviction allegations, with a court date scheduled for September 11.
Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson stated that investigators were aware of Johnson's identity but did not confirm a motive for the shooting. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Johnson was associated with 34 criminal cases in the Twin Cities, primarily traffic violations, but also including charges for two assaults and two misdemeanor drug offenses. Records also show Johnson pleaded guilty in 2012 to violating a contact order in a domestic abuse case.
Minneapolis Police Department Sgt. Garrett Parten confirmed that the manner of the suspected gunman's death is unclear. Officers arrived at the scene around 4:39 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire. Upon entering the high-rise apartment building, officers encountered victims and heard further shots. Following the sound of gunfire to an upper floor, officers found visibility significantly limited by a haze. Three officers were injured, two of whom sustained gunshot wounds to the shin and abdomen.