Eden Prairie gas station shooting may be connected to recent gang activity, police say

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police believe a shooting at an Eden Prairie, Minnesota gas station Monday night may be connected to recent Somali gang violence across the Twin Cities metro. 

Shooting at Eden Prairie gas station

What we know:

Eden Prairie police responded around 8:45 p.m. to reports of a shooting at a Speedway gas station near West 78th Street and Eden Prairie Road. No one was injured, and police said those involved fled the scene before officers arrived. 

Police detained four people for questioning, but they were later released after it was determined they were not directly involved with the shooting. 

Dig deeper:

Investigators believe Monday night's shooting may be connected to other recent incidents involving gang activity across the metro.

"Based on the investigation to date, police believe the shooting may be connected to other recent incidents involving East African/Somali gang activity across the metro," police said in a statement. 

No connection to homecoming shooting

Dig deeper:

However, police said there is currently no evidence connecting the gas station shooting to a shooting outside Eden Prairie High School during Friday night’s homecoming football game, which investigators also believe involved local Somali gangs. 

The incident started with a fight on the stadium grounds that police broke up. Minutes later, shots were fired in the parking lot. The shooting left two teenagers injured and prompted officials to evacuate the stadium. 

The homecoming game against Minnetonka was canceled. The two teams finished the game on Monday night.  

What you can do:

Police said both shootings are under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to email [email protected] or call the anonymous tip line at 952-949-8477. 

Mayor calls for regional task force 

What they're saying:

Amid the recent violence, Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case is calling for the creation of a regional task force to address gang activity.

The mayor wants to bring together state, county and local law enforcement along with prosecutors, schools, social services, youth-service organizations and Somali community leaders. He says the group's work should not only hold violent offenders accountable but also develop strategies to prevent young people from becoming involved in gangs in the first place. 

Local perspective:

The mayor also echoed the Eden Prairie Schools superintendent in condemning hateful rhetoric against the Somali community.   

"Gang violence must be confronted, but the actions of those involved should not define the broader Somali community," Case said in a statement. "I stand with the Somali Americans who call Eden Prairie home — our neighbors, business owners, parents, students, coworkers and friends — and I know many are deeply concerned about this violence and determined to be part of the solution." 

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher also addressed Somali gang activity during a Tuesday press conference and supported Mayor Case’s call for creating a regional task force.  

The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting and information from the Eden Prairie Police Department.