Daniel Benson, a 51-year-old man from Newport, was killed in Minneapolis in the early morning hours of March 27, 2026, after gunfire broke out near the well-traveled intersection of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue. Police said the shooting happened shortly after 12:30 a.m., when Benson and two other men were on a sidewalk in the area. At least one person opened fire, sending bullets across the scene and reportedly causing severe damage to a Metro Transit bus shelter nearby.
When
officers arrived, they found three victims. Benson died at the scene. The two surviving victims, described as men in their 40s and 50s, were taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center. Their names were not released, and their conditions were not immediately made public. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified Benson as the man who had been killed.
In the days after the shooting, Benson’s family remembered him as more than the victim of a violent night. He was described as the eldest brother in a family of five children, someone relatives saw as a protector, a kind-hearted presence, and a man quick to laugh. He was remembered as deeply devoted to his mother, proud of his children, and loved by grandchildren who were left to grow up without him. A fundraiser created for his family said he had three children and seven grandchildren, and it sought help with funeral costs and other expenses.
Police said preliminary information indicated the shooter, or shooters, fled the area in a vehicle after opening fire. Investigators did not publicly release a motive, and no suspect names were announced in the immediate aftermath. Officials also did not report any arrests connected to Benson’s killing.
As of the latest available reports, the case remained under investigation. Minneapolis police asked anyone with information to contact investigators or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers, saying information that leads to an arrest and conviction could be eligible for a reward.
