Officer dies after being 'ambushed' while responding to Minneapolis shooting

A Minneapolis police officer has died after they were "ambushed" while responding to a call about a shooting, officials said Thursday night.

Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department responded to reports of a double shooting on the 2200 block of Blaisdell Ave. S., earlier Thursday, the department's assistant chief of operations, Katie Blackwell, told the media. Upon arriving, the officers immediately received gunfire and exchanged gunfire, she said.

Two officers were injured in the incident and taken to a nearby hospital. Officer Jamal Mitchell died at the hospital, she said. The second officer, who has not been named, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the assistant chief.

Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said Mitchell had just arrived on the scene and was rendering first aid when he was shot.

"As Officer Mitchell neared the scene, he located individuals that were injured and got out of his car, and as he was attempting to provide assistance to them -- medical assistance -- he was ambushed," Evans said at Thursday's media briefing.

Two individuals were found at the scene with gunshot wounds, according to Blackwell, who spoke at a press briefing Thursday night. One of the individuals was pronounced dead at the scene. The other person was gravely injured, she said.

A firefighter also suffered life-threatening injuries, Blackwell said.

The suspected gunman died at the scene, officials said.

Addressing the death of Officer Mitchell, Blackwell said he "was exceptional in every way."

She said Mitchell joined their department a little over a year ago and received an award on his third day on the job. According to a February 2023 post on the department's Facebook page, Mitchell was newly sworn in when, alongside a fellow officer, he helped save two older adults from a house fire.

The investigation is ongoing.