MINNEAPOLIS — Newly released police body camera footage captures the terrifying moment two Minneapolis officers came under gunfire while pursuing a shooter inside a downtown apartment building. The September 2 attack left three people dead and several others injured, including two police officers. The videos offer a closer look at the confrontation on the ninth floor, while emergency 911 recordings reveal the fear of residents trapped inside the building.
Bodycam Footage Captures Officers Under Fire
The footage shows Minneapolis police officers moving through an apartment building as they searched for an armed suspect and worked to help residents still inside.
Officer Joseph Michnowski was approaching a victim lying in a hallway when gunman Carlton Johnson suddenly appeared from around a corner with a handgun. Johnson opened fire, striking Michnowski, who immediately moved away as additional gunshots echoed through the building.
Michnowski can be heard reporting over his radio that the shooter was on the ninth floor and that he had been hit. He then raised his left hand, which appeared to be shaking.
Other officers nearby called out to check whether he was safe.
A second officer, Yahye Mahmed Ahmed, also encountered gunfire while positioned near a stairwell landing. As shots rang out, a cloud of yellow smoke filled the doorway, prompting officers to move back down the stairs.
Ahmed could be heard saying he had been hit.
Deadly Minneapolis Shooting Leaves Three People Dead
The shooting began on September 2, 2026, when Johnson shot and wounded a woman believed to be the mother of his child during a custody exchange near the apartment building’s entrance. The child was not injured.
Johnson then shot two building employees before taking an elevator to the ninth floor. There, two apartment residents were killed.
The victims were identified as:
- Dale Henry Spry, 63.
- Muse Abdi Afrah, 61.
Police eventually exchanged gunfire with Johnson, who was fatally shot at the scene.
The attack injured five other people, including the two officers, the woman involved in the custody exchange and two building employees.
Authorities said it remained unclear whether Johnson specifically targeted the two residents or encountered them by chance in the hallway.
Frantic 911 Calls Show Residents’ Fear
Alongside the bodycam footage, authorities released emergency call recordings that show the panic inside the building during the shooting.
One wounded woman told a 911 dispatcher that she had been shot in the legs and could not move. She also said her child was with her.
In another call, a building employee hiding in a storage room expressed fear that the shooter might still be nearby. She told the dispatcher she would not leave until she knew police had arrived.
The recordings illustrate the difficult conditions faced by residents as officers worked to secure the building.
Suspect Had Previous Threats, Records Show
Johnson had reportedly faced eviction proceedings from the apartment building. Residents and law enforcement officials said he had made threats against neighbors and warned that he planned to shoot people.
At least one person had sought a restraining order against him.
Police also investigated Johnson in June over an allegation involving the display of a weapon. However, the county attorney’s office ultimately decided not to file charges.
The circumstances surrounding the earlier threats and the September shooting remain part of the broader investigation.
