Both men now ID’d who were killed by 1 day of gunfire tied to homeless encampments, single suspect

The identities have now been released of both men who were shot to death during a one-day spate of gunfire tied to homeless encampments, while a suspect in the shootings remains jailed.

Robert Milton Brown, 39, of Minneapolis, was shot in the head Wednesday and died at the scene in the 2500 block of 15th Avenue S., the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said Friday.

Police said Brown was standing by a garage in an alley at 4:15 p.m. when a group of people passed by. One person in the group approached Brown and shot him.

About 12 hours earlier, Roland Scott Littleowl, 20, died after being shot in the head in an alley in the 2500 block of 17th Avenue S. The shooting also left a man in his 30s wounded, police said.

In a third incident Wednesday, a man suffered a potentially life-threatening gunshot wound at 7:20 p.m. in the 2300 block of 17th Avenue S. The suspect was arrested 15 minutes later near E. 26th Street and 17th Avenue S., according to police.

On Thursday, Mayor Jacob Frey Frey vowed to accelerate the destruction of the encampments and called out the fentanyl crisis as a major factor.

Also on Thursday, the City Council approved measures related to housing and homelessness: a new set of reporting requirements intended to add transparency to camp removals, including where individuals land after being dispersed; a $1.5 million rehabilitation grant to help a downtown shelter make needed repairs ; and an extension of the pre-eviction notification period for renters from 14 days to 30 days.

One proposal focuses on St. Paul's old Rondo neighborhood. The other covers more than 7 miles of freeway from Minneapolis to St. Paul. Can both be done?