In the early morning hours of September 21, 2024, the life of 21-year-old Black male Lunden Marcel Woodberry was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire in downtown Minneapolis. A recent promotion at work and the joy of being a new father were suddenly overshadowed by the violence that erupted near the intersection of North 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue.
Just before 2 a.m., as bars were closing, the downtown streets were filled with people.
Amidst the crowds, a fight broke out, and the situation quickly escalated. Minneapolis police officers, already present as part of a late-night safety plan, heard the sounds of gunshots while they were attempting to disperse the altercation. In the ensuing chaos, five people were struck by bullets. Lunden Woodberry suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Another young man, 20-year-old Benjamin Hezekiah Haggray, who had recently moved to the city, was also killed. Three other victims, two teenage girls and a 23-year-old woman, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the mass shooting.
The investigation into the shooting unfolded over several months. Initially, a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of inciting a riot in connection with the incident but was later released from jail without being charged. The case saw a significant development when Lamarion Torando Shirley was arrested and subsequently charged in July 2025 with two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Woodberry and Haggray. According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage from that night showed a man, identified as Shirley, engaging with Woodberry in a threatening manner moments before the shots were fired. The charges also noted that Haggray was an innocent bystander who was on a date at the time of the shooting. A "ghost gun," an untraceable firearm, was reportedly found near Woodberry's body at the scene.
