Eden Prairie police said in a Saturday update that they believe the shooting outside the Eden Prairie High School homecoming game on Friday night, October 2, was gang-related. Gov. Tim Walz’s statement the night of the game spoke only of gun violence. Law enforcement sources had already told a local TV station the shooting ties to a Somali gang dispute, and that is the reason the gap between the two statements matters.
The Short Version
- Police said in a Saturday update that they believe the shooting was gang-related, based on the investigation so far.
- Law enforcement sources, three of them independent of one another, told a local TV station the shooting is related to Somali gang activity.
- Gov. Tim Walz’s Friday night statement said, “No homecoming, in any community, should be disrupted by gun violence.” It made no mention of gangs.
- Two people, ages 18 and 17, were wounded. Police say neither injury is life-threatening.
- Police had announced no arrests as of Sunday, October 4.
What the Police Said, and When
The first word of a gang link came from law enforcement sources speaking to a local TV station. It was not a formal police finding. The sources said the shooting is related to Somali gang activity.
Police then put their own view on the record in the Saturday update. They said that, so far, the evidence leads them to believe the shooting was gang-related. They released no motive. They also said they do not have enough specific suspect information to share.
Police Chief Matt Sackett said the shooting looked targeted. That means officers think specific people were the aim, not the crowd.
🚨 BREAKING OVERNIGHT: TWO PEOPLE WERE SHOT OUTSIDE AN EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME.
Police say the shooting was gang related and believe it was targeted. The two victims, Somali males ages 17 and 18 from St. Paul, suffered non life threatening… pic.twitter.com/byxxOVNfCv
— JENNIFER (@jenn_2436_) October 4, 2026
What the Governor Said
Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, issued his statement on Friday night. “No homecoming, in any community, should be disrupted by gun violence,” he said. He added that Minnesotans were thinking of the students and families involved.
His words named gun violence and nothing else. Gangs did not appear in the statement. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also weighed in, calling the violence “completely unacceptable.”
The Night at Aerie Stadium
The Eden Prairie vs. Minnetonka homecoming game was underway at Aerie Stadium when it happened. Police already had officers at the game. Around 8:40 p.m., they were called to a disturbance, and a large fight had broken out on the west side of the stadium. Officers broke it up, and then gunfire came from a nearby parking lot.
An 18-year-old and a 17-year-old were hit. The older teen went home from the hospital Saturday. The 17-year-old was still in the hospital with an injury police say is not life-threatening. Police said neither teen was a student at an Eden Prairie or Minnetonka school.
When the gunfire ended, stadium staff and police cleared the stadium. Families were told to meet their students at Round Lake Park. Students inside school buildings were kept there for about an hour and then let go. School Superintendent Josh Swanson said the community looked after one another and after visitors, and that no one was hurt during the evacuation.
The high school called off Saturday’s homecoming dance. Principal Jaysen Anderson explained that a dance less than 24 hours after a trauma in the community “feels out of place.”
How to Reach Investigators
No arrests had been announced as of Sunday, October 4. Police are working alongside regional law enforcement partners. They are asking anyone with a tip, or with video from the stadium or the parking lot, to send an email to [email protected] or call the anonymous tip line at 952-949-8477.
Sources:
alphanews.org, mprnews.org, twitchy.com, fox9.com, twincities.com
