Two men are dead and traffic was snarled for hours this morning on Interstates 94 and 694 after a shooting and a high-speed chase throughout the Twin Cities north metro.
The entire incident lasted throughout the morning hours Wednesday, and traffic is still snarled in area of Interstate 694 between the I-35E and I-35W interchanges. Eastbound traffic was closed off in that area as late as 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. Southbound traffic into the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas for the morning commute was also brought to a halt.
The Minnesota State Patrol
The first police calls came after 1 a.m. Wednesday when a report of a shooting at the Maple Grove rest area on eastbound Interstate 94, about 12 miles east of St. Michael, was filed. When officers arrive, one man was found dead at the scene, according to information released by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
A short time later, prior to 1:30 a.m., the suspect’s SUV was spotted near the Fish Lake Interchange (Maple Grove split), and officers attempted to make a stop near the I-94/I-694 merge. The SUV sped away, eastbound on I-694.
Several agencies began to give chase, according to scanner reports filed by Police Clips. The Minnesota State Patrol helicopter was dispatched as speeds on the chase reached top end of 115 mph.
The suspect crashed his vehicle near Rice Avenue in Shoreview, and promptly exited his SUV, brandishing a weapon. Police on the scene opened fire, killing the man. The Star Tribune reported officers from Brooklyn Center Police Department and the HSCO fired weapons. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating.
Maple Grove Police said they are investigating the murder at the rest stop, which happened within city limits.
Here’s the full report from FOX Twin Cities: