Overview
- The Firearm Assault Shoot Team, announced Monday, assigns a dedicated investigator to every nonfatal shooting and sends them to the scene immediately.
- City leaders say the approach aims to raise solve rates and cut retaliatory violence by matching the resources used in homicide cases.
- Officials report the unit was at work before the public rollout and has already begun doubling closures for these cases, based on early city data.
- Minneapolis cites a wide gap in 2025 results, with about 80% of homicides cleared versus under 50% for nonfatal shootings, as staffing shortages left homicide detectives handling many nonfatal cases.
- The model mirrors St. Paul’s unit, which local data show nearly doubled its 2025 clearance rate, and Minneapolis is funding the effort at about $2 million with support from the Minnesota BCA, Hennepin and Ramsey County sheriffs, Bloomington police, and Metro Transit police.