16-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Murder of 11-Year-Old Boy in Minneapolis Park Shooting

Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow) – A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of 11-year-old Amir Lamar Atkins, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced Wednesday.

READ MORE: Minneapolis Siblings Dead in Apparent Domestic Shooting

“I am incredibly grateful to the hard work of the investigators who worked to complete a thorough investigation of this heinous crime,” Chief O’Hara said in a statement. “I am hopeful that this arrest brings a sense of justice for Amir and his family.”

Chief O’Hara says the teen suspect was taken into custody without incident around 9:01 a.m. Tuesday in Apple Valley. He was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.

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The arrest comes one month after gunfire erupted on the afternoon of June 23 at Folwell Park on Dowling Avenue North. Witnesses reported a vehicle driving through the park and shots being fired near the parking lot. Shortly after, a resident near Morgan and Dowling Avenues heard cries for help outside his home.

That man discovered Amir and two others outside and rushed the boy toward the hospital. While en route, he flagged down a police officer near Penn and Dowling. Despite immediate lifesaving efforts by first responders, Amir was pronounced dead at the scene.

“I cannot emphasize enough how terrible it is to have an 11-year-old boy shot and killed in the middle of the day,” Chief O’Hara said at the time of the shooting.

Police have not disclosed a motive or further details about the arrest. The investigation remains active.

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