Suspect in attack on Minneapolis homeless shelter wrongly identified, charges dropped

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Hennepin County prosecutors have dropped charges against a man arrested in connection with an attack on a homeless shelter, saying they believe police misidentified him.

What we know

Two people were arrested last week following a violent attack on September 5 at St. Anne's Place, a homeless shelter for women and children in Minneapolis.

Prosecutors said a man threatened residents with a gun, fired shots into the air and at a vehicle, and struck two residents of the home with a pistol. At the same time, a woman, now identified as Eureka Riser, approached the front door and began hitting it with a baseball bat. Authorities said the violence stemmed from a dispute over a parking space.

Eureka Riser and the other suspect, a 35-year-old man, were both charged with riot. Riser was also charged with criminal damage, while the defendant was charged with assault, possession of a weapon and threatening violence.

The shelter has since been temporarily closed while safety improvements are made.

Latest developments

On Monday, the Hennepin County District Attorney's Office announced charges against the man in the case. However, a day later, authorities announced that the case had been dropped because the suspect had been misidentified.

In a statement, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office learned of the error on Tuesday and immediately requested that charges be dismissed. The statement read:

“We recently learned from our law enforcement partners at MPD that [redacted] was falsely identified as the suspect in the St. Anne's Place attack, striking two people with a pistol and firing a weapon on September 5, 2024.

“MPD immediately shared this information with us as part of its ongoing investigation and upon receipt of this information we immediately began the process of filing a written dismissal. [The man] will be released from custody as soon as possible.

“The investigation is ongoing and we will provide further details at a later date as they become available.”

What happens next?

The man was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon before charges were dismissed. He remains in the Hennepin County Jail.

It is unclear if police have been able to identify the actual suspect in the attack. FOX 9 is not identifying the man who was acquitted in the case.

Charges have yet to be filed against Riser.