Juan Francisco Rosario, a 31-year-old Hispanic male from Richfield, was fatally shot on the evening of July 29, 2013, in South Minneapolis. Around 6:30 p.m., police responded to calls of gunfire and discovered Rosario on a sidewalk on 43rd Street East, between 4th and 5th Avenues South. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services transported him to the Hennepin County Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries about an hour later.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner officially ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators believe the attack was not a random act of violence, but rather that Rosario was the intended target. According to witness statements, the gunshots originated from a vehicle which then quickly fled the area near Eddy's Barber Shop. Police recovered multiple bullet casings at the scene and began interviewing witnesses to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. The incident left neighbors feeling uneasy, with one resident expressing nervousness and discomfort about a shooting happening so close to her home.
Despite the initial investigation and public appeals for information, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the murder of Juan Francisco Rosario. The case has since gone cold, joining the list of unsolved homicides in Minneapolis. Authorities have faced challenges in gathering sufficient witness testimony to move the case forward. The lack of closure continues to leave questions unanswered for the family and community, as the perpetrators responsible for his death remain at large.
