Minneapolis police officers wounded by gunfire in Loring Park mass shooting identified

Liz Sawyer, Star Tribune on Sep 3, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — The two Minneapolis police officers wounded by gunfire during a mass shooting in Loring Park on Wednesday have been identified by authorities.

Joseph Michnowski, a five-year veteran of the force, and Yayhe Ahmed, a 2024 lateral transfer who previously served with the Richfield and Metro Transit police departments, were struck after responding to an active shooter inside the Shoreline Plaza high-rise apartment building.

Michnowski suffered two shots to the abdomen and required surgery. Ahmed was struck in the leg. Both remain hospitalized at HCMC. A third unidentified officer also sustained unspecified injuries in the encounter. All three are expected to recover.

Four more responding officers experienced adverse reactions from an unknown airborne chemical inside the building. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said reduced visibility encountered by officers was believed to be a substance that came from “pipes or other implements” that were struck by gunfire.

The officers serve in the First Precinct covering downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. They arrived at the chaotic scene 1 minute and 42 seconds after being dispatched to a shots fired call at the complex.

Mayor Jacob Frey lauded the officers’ “bravery and courage” at a Wednesday evening news conference, while flanked by the county’s top law enforcement officials.

“I can’t emphasize enough how dangerous the situation was and how heroic our officers were in their response,” Frey said.

“They rescued victims, brought people to safety, helped get approximately four people to the hospital — all while getting shot at themselves,” he added. “But for their heroic work, the death toll would have been far higher.”

Upon entry, Michnowski and Ahmed discovered multiple victims in the apartment lobby as shots rang out from upper floors. They ran up the stairs toward the shots, exiting on the ninth floor, where they encountered a “haze that limited their visibility,” Interim Chief Bill Peterson said, where they exchanged gunfire with the suspect.

The shooter, later identified as 35-year-old Carlton Johnson II, died in the hail of bullets. Johnson was in the midst of eviction proceedings from the high-rise building and had a history of making threats toward staff.

All told, three people were killed, including two male residents in their 60s, and six more were injured during the violent encounter that terrorized and displaced dozens of residents.

During the shooting’s aftermath, two other officers sustained minor injuries in a police vehicle crash while driving to the crime scene to provide aid. A civilian motorist T-boned the rear of the squad car as it passed through an intersection on Nicollet Mall outside Target, shearing off the back end.

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