Two men were hospitalized with gunshot wounds and Duluth police are looking for suspects after two separate shootings that occurred Saturday and Sunday.
The Duluth Police Department responded to a local hospital at 7:49 p.m. Sunday after receiving information regarding a 19-year-old man with a gunshot wound. Police were still investigating this incident Sunday night. Check back to duluthnewstribune.com for updates.
On Saturday night, police said they were called to the 100 block of North 65th Avenue West at 11:53 p.m. on reports of shots fired.
According to police, there was a party going on at the home when shots were fired from outside the house. At least one bullet entered the home. A 37-year old male attending the party was struck once and was in stable condition Sunday at a Duluth hospital with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said at least one other shot entered a second, nearby house but that no one was injured there.
Officers said they interviewed witnesses at the scene while the victim was interviewed at a local hospital.
Police have made no arrests in the case and are asking for the public’s assistance in finding the suspect. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at (218) 730-5050 or call 911.
Sunday's incident is the fifth shooting in Duluth that resulted in injuries in the past 16 days, with at least two additional armed robberies reported during that time. Duluth officials have called the latest outbreak of gunplay a statistical anomaly, noting overall crime rates are dropping. Police Chief Mike Tusken, however, has said there has been an uptick in gun-related activity. Police confiscated more than twice as many firearms from criminals in 2016 compared to 2015, the chief said.
Tusken did not comment to reporters Sunday but did post on his Facebook page: “I empathize how these incidents create fear and angst. Those who use guns to settle disputes harm not only their intended victims but also rob our neighborhoods of a sense of security. For these reasons, we pursue these criminals with great vigor.”
