Darnell Allen Watkins, a 40-year-old Black man from Minneapolis, was shot multiple times just after 1 a.m. on September 8, 2025, in the Ventura Village neighborhood. Metro Transit officers near Chicago and Franklin avenues reported hearing gunfire; minutes later police found him in the front yard of a home on the 1900 block of Elliot Avenue South. Officers attempted lifesaving measures on the lawn, but he died at the scene.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner publicly identified Watkins and confirmed the manner of death as homicide from multiple gunshot wounds, locating the injury and death at 1916 Elliot Avenue. Investigators taped off the block, canvassed for witnesses and video, and asked the public for leads. As of initial updates, no arrests had been announced and detectives were still seeking the person or people responsible.

If anyone saw activity on Elliot Avenue South around 1 a.m. on September 8, or has footage from the area, can you share what you know with investigators?