City Clears Makeshift Barriers Near Portland Avenue Shooting Site, Citing Safety Concerns

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The City of Minneapolis has begun removing street barriers near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, citing emergency access concerns following Wednesday’s fatal ICE shooting.

City officials said blocked streets in the area posed a risk to fire and emergency medical response, particularly as crews were recently responding to a separate major fire nearby.

“Safety has to come first. Every second matters when lives are on the line,” Interim Minneapolis Fire Chief Melanie Rucker said in a statement. “Just up the street from this location, our crews were actively fighting a three-alarm fire on Monday night. When streets are blocked, it slows our response, limits access to critical resources and puts both residents and emergency responders at risk.”

According to the city, barriers were installed following the shooting but quickly became a concern for first responders. Officials said 311 received numerous calls from residents requesting that the streets be reopened due to access issues within the neighborhood.

City leaders emphasized that while public safety requires streets to remain open, memorials created by community members will remain intact.

“The City will not remove the memorial created and maintained by community members,” officials said. “We will continue to keep the area around these memorials clear and clean for the benefit of all.”

The city encouraged residents and visitors to continue gathering peacefully to mourn the loss of a neighbor, while stressing that public streets must remain accessible to emergency vehicles.

“As our community mourns, it’s important to preserve space for public memorials,” the city said. “But public streets must remain open and accessible so emergency responders can meet urgent safety needs as quickly as possible.”

City officials thanked residents for their cooperation and support as crews worked to restore normal access to the area.