🌱 Patch AM: How investigators traced the Maple Grove Benihana shooting suspect home

Hey there, Maple Grove! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How investigators traced the Maple Grove Benihana shooting suspect home
• How Maple Grove police turned holiday shopping into a night to remember
• Which Maple Grove native just made Team USA’s World Juniors roster?

Also on today's calendar: Bring the Family & Ring in 2026 EARLY at D&B.

Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Cloudy, with a high of 37 and low of 32 degrees.
• Saturday: Mainly cloudy, temps: high: 42, low: 24.
• Sunday: Cloudy, windy and colder, with a high of 27 and low of 3 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!

📰 News we're reading

1. Brooklyn Park man in custody for shooting at Maple Grove Benihana (hometownsource.com) — Maple Grove police have a suspect in custody after a November shooting inside the Benihana restaurant that left a man with a gunshot wound to the groin. Prosecutors say the Brooklyn Park-area man faces felony assault charges, while investigators also report finding neglected animals and evidence of children in the home they searched during the case.
   

2. Holiday shopping fun (hometownsource.com) — Maple Grove families might recognize some happy faces from the recent Shop With a Cop outing, where Maple Grove police took 23 children shopping at Walmart and then to the Community Center to wrap gifts. Similar events in Osseo, Champlin, and Dayton also paired officers with local kids for gift-buying, treats, and time together, all funded by donations from area businesses and organizations.
   

3. Hagens, Zellers Named to Team USA for 2026 World Juniors (nhl.com) — A Maple Grove native, hockey prospect Will Zellers, has earned a spot on Team USA for the 2026 World Junior Championship, which starts Friday in Minnesota. Zellers, a standout at the University of North Dakota, recently scored twice in a pre-tournament win over Germany, giving Maple Grove fans a local player to watch on the international stage.
   

4. 2025 in Review: Suburbs once again dominate housing starts (finance-commerce.com) — Maple Grove remains a major Twin Cities homebuilding hub, ranking ninth in the metro for new housing units in 2025 after two years in sixth place. A broader suburban building boom continues, with Rosemount, Woodbury, and Lakeville leading single-family construction across the region.
   

📸 Around Maple Grove

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Maple Grove

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Sunday December 28

• Drop-in Tech Help
  Maple Grove Library , 8001 Main Street , Maple Grove
  12:30 pm

Wednesday December 31

• Bring the Family & Ring in 2026 EARLY at D&B
  Dave and Buster's - Maple Grove (map) 11780 Fountains Way Maple Grove MN 55369
  4:00 pm

Thursday January 1

• New Year's Holiday
  Maple Grove, MN Calendar , 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway N , Maple Grove
  7:00 am

📣 Maple Grove Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 26

• Escape Room
  Plymouth Library , 15700 36th Avenue North , Plymouth
  1:00 pm
• Computer and Tech Help
  Plymouth Library , 15700 36th Avenue North , Plymouth
  2:00 pm
• The Christmas Pickle
  Bunker Hills Event Center , 12800 Bunker Prairie Rd NW , Coon Rapids
  5:30 pm
• A Christmas Carol...More or Less
  Yellow Tree Theatre , 320 5th Ave SE , Osseo
  7:30 pm

Saturday December 27

• Soma Yoga for Adults
  Champlin Library , 12154 Ensign Avenue North , Champlin
  9:00 am
• Drop-in LEGO® Lab
  Maple Plain Library , 5184 Main Street East , Maple Plain
  9:30 am
• English Conversation Circle
  North Regional Community Library , 1315 Lowry Avenue North , Minneapolis
  11:00 am
• STEAM Activity
  North Regional Community Library , 1315 Lowry Avenue North , Minneapolis
  2:00 pm

Sunday December 28

• Surrender To Sound: Winter Sounds Bath + Yin Yoga with Jan
  Capp Center St. Paul , 1375 St. Paul Ave , St. Paul
  4:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Maple Grove PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• AnnapurnaBlue Heath and Wellness — (952) 405-0342
  You Are The Sun ~ Costa Rica Women's Retreat ages 35 - 70+

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• How do you know when Santa’s around?
  ... You can always sense his presents. Merry Christmas Neighborhood! (Nextdoor North Eagle Lake)

• Sam's Club posted a job opening for Merchandise and Stocking Associate in Maple Grove. Apply here.
• Dave & Buster's Restaurant posted a job opening for Customer Service - Winner's Circle in Maple Grove. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Maple Grove here.

Ok Maple Grove! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m out of time.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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