Minneapolis Man Accused of Pulling Gun on Somali Teens

Tuesday December 4, 2018

Police in Minneapolis have charged a man with allegedly threatening a group of Somali teenagers with a gun inside a McDonald's restaurant.

advertisements

The suspect, Lloyd Johnson, is facing felony charges when he appears in court at a date to be determined.

According to the complaint against Johnson, two girls were trying to pay for their food with a digital app that was not working.

Johnson stood behind the girls and remarked that they were probably trying to pay with an EBT card — an electronic card many poor citizens use to obtain government food assistance.

When one of the girls turned around, Johnson allegedly raised his fist. When other Somali teens approached, Johnson is accused of stepping away, pulling a handgun, and backing out of the restaurant.

Police used a cellphone and a McDonald's security camera to identify the suspect.

A Hennepin County, Minnesota, prosecutor accused Johnson of doing "everything he could" to provoke a confrontation, adding it is sheer luck no one was hurt.

There has been no comment from Johnson or an attorney.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has one of the largest Somali diaspora in the United States. The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis is known locally as "Little Mogadishu."

Home
Email

Hiiraan Online