Minneapolis police wouldn’t allow University computer science major Grant Cermak into his south Minneapolis apartment complex Friday afternoon.
Just an hour before Cermak arrived, a 32-year-old Minneapolis man was shot inside the building at 1912 S. Third Ave. He then stumbled into the street to die, said police spokeswoman Penny Parrish.
Christopher Turner died at the scene about 2:45 p.m. after an argument among three men in the second-floor hallway became violent, police said. One man shot Turner in the chest; both fled out the back of the building. The victim went down the stairs, leaned against the front door and wandered about 40 feet before collapsing in the middle of Third Avenue.
Minutes later, a man dialed 911 on his cellular phone while trying to revive Turner, who would lie dead and uncovered in the street for almost two hours while police investigated the incident amid a crowd of spectators. Police have no suspects in the slaying.
Cermak came home to find the entire block from 19th Street to Franklin Avenue squared off by yellow police tape as officers urged drivers to keep moving. Young and old residents alike leaned against the tape outside of the Third Avenue Food Market, many staring at the bloody scene in disbelief.
“Look at how many kids are around here watching a dead body bleed in the street,” Cermak said. “It’s ridiculous.”
Cermak, who said he was shocked by the incident, doesn’t plan to move. “It was hard for me to find a place as it was, so I’m staying here,” Cermak said.
Others in the building aren’t so sure.
“It makes me want to move right now,” said a 20-year-old resident who lives on the second floor of the building. “Imagine if I would’ve walked in when all this was happening, I would have got shot. That scares me.”
Letter carrier Nancy Johnston was delivering packages in a building across the street when the incident occurred. She came out and spotted the anonymous man trying to revive Turner.
“He was pulling on his jacket telling him to move, talking to 911 at the same time,” Johnston said. “It’s always been on another route before. It’s kind of scary now.”
Marshall Jackson, owner of the apartment building, said he will put new security doors on the apartment building.