A north Minneapolis shooting in the early hours of July 28, 2024, ended the life of Omari Kwakou Thomas, 45, of nearby Brooklyn Center. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert found Thomas on a sidewalk in the 3200 block of North Penn Avenue around 1:10 a.m. with a life-threatening gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was taken to North Memorial Health and died from complications of that wound shortly after 7:30 a.m., the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide.

The shooter had fled before police arrived. Thomas was awaiting an August trial on charges related to a January 2024 bar shooting, including assault and illegal gun possession; authorities have not released information connecting that pending case to his death. As of initial reports, no arrests or suspect identifications had been announced and the investigation remained active.

If anyone has information about the shooting on North Penn Avenue or saw activity in the area around 1:10 a.m. on July 28, please share what you know with investigators.