Accusations of violence didn't restrict suspected Minneapolis shooter's gun ownership

MINNEAPOLIS — The volatile behavior of a man suspected of carrying out a mass shooting in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday had been well-documented by officials in various county and city agencies. It did not stop him from having the ability to possess the firearm that was used to allegedly carry out a shocking act of violence.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Carlton Neal Johnson II shot and killed two people and injured six others at the Shoreline Plaza apartment building in Loring Park, authorities say. Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said the shooter was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police.

Evans said the shooting appeared to start during a child custody exchange outside the apartment building.

Court records show Johnson was facing eviction proceedings from the apartment building based on a series of threatening incidents.

While Johnson had been accused of violent tendencies across several criminal and civil court proceedings in Minnesota, those do not appear to have risen to a level where they resulted in any restrictions on his ability to carry a firearm.

“We know there have been a lot of questions regarding Mr. Johnson’s eligibility to possess firearms and permit status, and we understand why people have questions,” BCA public information officer Laura Perkins said. “We’re actively looking into those things as part of the investigation, but there’s nothing we can confirm at this point.

Here’s what we know about how Johnson came to possess a gun.

Evans said the shooter used a handgun, which has been collected and sent off for analysis.

Johnson had been re-issued a permit to carry a handgun on April 9 by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, according to a person familiar with the application.

Minnesota concealed carry permits are valid for five years.

County sheriffs can deny applications for concealed weapons permits if they believe an applicant is a “danger to self or the public if authorized to carry a pistol,” according to state law.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office declined to release a copy of the permit, saying the information is private under state law.

The sheriff’s office said state law establishes permit requirements and that it “does not create or independently determine those eligibility requirements.”

Evans said information about the shooter’s gun permit and past accusations of violence would be unpacked as part of a BCA investigation.

At the time of the shooting, Johnson was the subject of a child protection case concerning his 4-year-old daughter and a harassment restraining order, according to court records.

Hennepin County District Court referee Tiffany Sedillos granted the harassment restraining order in 2023 based on allegations the woman made that Johnson sexually assaulted her and threatened her life.

Neither the child protection case nor the harassment restraining order resulted in any court-ordered restrictions on Johnson’s ability to possess a firearm.

Johnson was also facing allegations from his landlord that he had made violent threats. Attorneys for Shoreline Plaza, formerly known as Loring Towers, served him with an eviction notice in June, claiming he assaulted another resident in March and threatened others with a gun.

The case was scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 11.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Thursday that a criminal case was submitted to her office on Aug. 20 after Johnson allegedly threatened someone who lived in his building and brandished a firearm.

The case was not charged after an “experienced attorney” reviewed it and found that there was likely “insufficient evidence to prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.

Moriarty said the evidence showed that Johnson, who had a legal permit to carry, “displayed the weapon but it did not leave his waistband.”

One day after the criminal investigation was submitted to Moriarty’s office, the neighbor Johnson allegedly threatened filed a petition for a harassment restraining order. The filing alleged Johnson had physically assaulted him and threatened him with a handgun.

“I’m afraid to enter and exit my apartment for fear of my safety and wellbeing,” the neighbor wrote.

Moriarty said Johnson’s conduct was also flagged for an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which would have meant Johnson had to turn over his guns. Additional evidence review found insufficient evidence to file the ERPO.

Johnson was previously restricted from possessing a firearm more than 10 years ago following a criminal case for violating a domestic no contact order. He was released from probation in 2014.

Four years later, he was charged with domestic assault and property damage after his sister told police he drunkenly threw her around an apartment and kicked in a door.

A domestic assault conviction can, in some cases, carry with it a prohibition on firearm possession for as little as three years or as long as the remainder of the convicted person’s life. But the domestic assault charge was dropped after Johnson pleaded guilty to the property damage crime in April 2019.

Evans said domestic violence appeared central to Wednesday’s shooting.

“The role that domestic violence continues to play in mass casualty incidents and other situations where people are shot and killed continues to be a problem that we need to ... figure out as a society,” Evans said.