In the early hours of a summer Friday, the life of Donnell Jermaine Burns, a 33-year-old Black man from Maple Grove, was tragically cut short. Gunfire erupted around 12:15 a.m. on June 20, 2025, near the intersection of 14th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Loring Park neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis. When police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Burns with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the location.
A second man was also found at the scene with non-critical injuries and was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The shooting took place following a lively gathering on the street. People had been lingering in the area for hours after a fireworks display, and there appeared to have been a sidewalk cookout near the Volunteers of America residential building. According to a preliminary police statement, it was out of this gathering that the violence ensued. The individual who fired the shots fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, leaving behind a community shaken by the sudden and fatal event.
As of now, the investigation into the death of Donnell Jermaine Burns is ongoing. The Minneapolis Police Department has not yet announced any arrests in connection with the homicide, nor have they publicly identified any suspects or determined a motive for the shooting. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and have provided contact information for the police department and Crime Stoppers, with the possibility of a financial reward for tips that lead to an arrest and conviction. Police Chief Brian O'Hara described the incident as an "unacceptable act of violence" that has forever altered the lives of the victim's family.
