Daniel Benson, 51, of Newport was killed in Minneapolis in the early morning hours of March 27, 2026, after gunfire erupted near the busy intersection of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue. Police say the shooting occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. while Benson and two other men were on a sidewalk; at least one person opened fire and bullets also caused severe damage to a nearby Metro Transit bus shelter. Officers found three victims; Benson was pronounced dead at the scene and the two other men, described as men in their 40s and 50s, were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified Benson as the deceased. Family members remembered him as the eldest of five children, a protector, devoted to his mother, proud of his three children and the grandfather of seven. A fundraiser was established to help with funeral costs and other expenses. Police said preliminary information indicates the shooter or shooters fled in a vehicle; no motive, suspect names, or arrests were announced and the case remained under investigation.

Did anyone in the area that night see a vehicle or people leaving the scene who could help investigators?