The man identified as the gunman in Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a downtown Minneapolis apartment building had accumulated 34 separate criminal cases in the Twin Cities and had been the subject of an eviction notice alleging he threatened to kill people, according to court records and police.
Carlton Neal Johnson II, 35, lived at Shoreline Plaza, formerly known as Loring Towers, and was already known to Minneapolis police before the shooting. His criminal history was mostly traffic violations, but included two domestic assault cases and two misdemeanor drug cases, according to public reporting based on court records.
Building management had begun eviction proceedings against Johnson, serving him a notice on June 16 that alleged six lease violations between January and June. Those allegations included assaulting another resident in March, walking around the property while displaying a firearm, threatening people with a gun, and telling residents he “would kill someone.”
Additional court-record reporting alleges Johnson entered the building’s management office while displaying a firearm, told residents he had obtained a new gun and would kill someone, flashed a gun outside the building, and threatened a security officer while lifting his shirt to show the weapon. Johnson denied the allegations in court filings and said he had a valid permit to carry a handgun.
Neighbors describe threats in the days before the shooting
Shoreline Plaza resident Chris Miller told the Star Tribune that Johnson said days before the attack that he planned to shoot his ex-girlfriend and two property managers.
“He said, ‘I’m going to shoot people,'” Miller recalled.
Miller said Johnson had shown him his handgun and carry permit and described him as “very, very, very angry, drunk and mad.” Another witness reportedly encountered Johnson shortly before the shooting and said he grabbed her while declaring he was going to “kill my baby mama.”
Johnson’s record of alleged violent behavior dates back years. In a 2018 domestic incident, he was accused of assaulting a sibling and reportedly said he had a gun and was “not afraid to shoot people in the face.” He ultimately pleaded guilty to destruction of property, denied the assault allegation, served four days in jail and received probation. A judge reportedly noted at the time that Johnson appeared to have “anger issues.”
Available reporting shows no indication that Johnson had recently been jailed over the incidents at Shoreline Plaza. The building’s allegations were being handled through civil eviction proceedings, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 11. Police, however, acknowledged after Wednesday’s shooting that Johnson was already known to them.
Officers responded within two minutes
Police said officers reached the building less than two minutes after being dispatched and responded to the sound of shots through conditions that severely limited visibility. Officers exchanged gunfire with Johnson on an upper floor. He was found dead at the scene; some reports indicate the death was self-inflicted, though authorities initially said the exact circumstances remained under investigation.
The shooting left two civilians dead and five others with gunshot wounds, including two Minneapolis police officers. A third officer suffered a non-gunfire injury and is expected to recover.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz praised law enforcement’s response and asked residents to pray for first responders. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the “death toll would have been far higher” without officers’ actions.
Walz had pledged sweeping policing reforms in the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd unrest, telling Minnesotans at the time that “Minnesota will change the way we do policing.” Six years later, questions are mounting over how a man who court records show had been the subject of repeated threat allegations for months could carry out a shooting that killed two people and wounded five, including three officers.
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