On September 18, 2024, a day of violence unfolded in Minneapolis, culminating in the death of 39-year-old Robert Milton Brown, a Black male. The events of that day were part of a shooting spree that left another man dead and two others injured.
In the afternoon, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Brown was in an alley in the 2500 block of Bloomington Avenue S. when he was confronted by a gunman.
Surveillance footage from the area showed that Brown was standing peacefully before the assailant pointed a handgun at his head at close range. According to the charges later filed, Brown put his hands up and cowered on the ground. The gunman paused for a moment before fatally shooting him in the head.
The man responsible for this act was later identified as Joshua Anthony Jones, 36, of Bemidji. Jones's violent actions on that September day were not limited to the murder of Robert Milton Brown. Earlier that morning, around 4:40 a.m., he had shot and killed 20-year-old Roland Scott Littleowl in an alley in the 2500 block of 17th Avenue S., also injuring another man in that incident. Later that evening, around 7:20 p.m., Jones shot and wounded a fourth person.
Following the third shooting, police arrested Jones. He was charged with two counts of intentional second-degree murder for the deaths of Brown and Littleowl. In July 2025, Joshua Jones pleaded guilty to the charges. As a result, he was given a 35-year sentence.
