4 children, ages 11-14, shot while driving around in stolen car in Minneapolis, police say

Four children under the age of 15 were shot, with one wounded critically, after they were found driving a stolen car in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to police.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a press conference while officers were responding to several ShotSpotter activations in Minneapolis just after 1 a.m. Sunday, they were also notified of a 911 call reporting a vehicle with multiple people shot inside.

There were five children inside the car, four of whom had gunshot wounds: two injured boys and two injured girls, O'Hara said. The children were all between ages 11-14, and were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center. O'Hara said one of the girls was shot in the head and was in critical, but stable condition. The other three juveniles were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

A fifth child in the car was uninjured. O'Hara said he was detained on the scene when the car was discovered to be stolen, but was released to his parents after officers determined he was 11 years old.

None of the names of the injured children have been released.

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Children were shot at by another driver while riding around in stolen Kia

According to a preliminary investigation from police, the juveniles were driving the stolen Kia when a dark-colored sedan began following them and someone inside shot at them with "fully automatic gunfire." O'Hara said around 30 pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered from the scene, although even more rounds may have been fired.

The shooter fled the scene, and police have not made any arrests.

Police said the five juveniles will not be charged due to state statue limitations regarding their age.

In another press conference, O'Hara said the shooting was "preventable," as the Hennepin County Attorney's Office could have taken "at least two" of the juveniles in the days prior to the shooting after their individual cases had been referred for felony charges Aug. 9. O'Hara did not name the two juveniles, or what the felony charges were.