In the late hours of a Thursday evening in north Minneapolis, a burst of gunfire shattered the night, forever altering the lives of a family and community. On June 9, 2022, Ernell Lamar Hooks, a 41-year-old Black / African American man from the nearby community of Columbia Heights, found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The incident unfolded around 10 p.m.
on the 1800 block of Sheridan Avenue North, a residential street that became the scene of a tragedy.
Hooks sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm. He was quickly transported to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, where medical staff fought to save his life. Despite their efforts, Ernell Lamar Hooks succumbed to his injuries later that same night. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office would later confirm his identity and officially rule his death a homicide, the result of the single gunshot wound.
In the days and weeks that followed, the Minneapolis Police Department launched an investigation into the killing. However, the case has been met with a frustrating silence. To date, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The circumstances leading up to the fatal encounter remain unclear to the public, leaving a painful void for those who knew and loved Hooks. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward and contact CrimeStoppers, hoping that a crucial tip might lead to a breakthrough in the ongoing investigation and bring a measure of justice to a family still grieving their loss.
