The man suspected of carrying out a deadly mass shooting inside a Minneapolis apartment building has been identified in newly surfaced images.
Police said 35-year-old Carlton Johnson II allegedly opened fire Wednesday evening at the Loring Towers apartment complex, leaving two people dead and six others injured.
Johnson described himself on social media as a content creator and was also listed as working as a machine operator, according to his online profiles.
Posts and photos shared on his Facebook page suggest he was the father of two young daughters.
Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said one victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second died after being taken to the hospital.
He also told reporters that one officer was shot in the leg and another was shot twice in the abdomen.
Johnson died in the building during the standoff, it is unclear at this time if he took his own life or was shot dead by officers.
Images of Johnson have emerged after it was revealed that he was facing eviction proceedings from the building after making a series of threats to neighbors.
Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail said that he was issued an order to be evicted in June but was fighting back against it.
Carlton Johnson II opened fire inside the Loring Towers complex on Wednesday evening, killing two people and wounding six others
Images of Johnson have emerged after it was revealed that he was facing eviction proceedings from the building after making a series of threats to neighbors
His erratic behavior apparently started back in January, when property managers claim he disturbed the peace by getting into a loud argument and repeatedly knocked on a neighbor’s door.
Then on March 23, Johnson assaulted a resident on the premises of the affordable housing complex and by June he started openly carrying a gun.
The final straw apparently came on June 11, when Johnson was seen walking around the complex with his firearm and entered the management office, where he allegedly waved the gun in front of multiple management personnel, the complaint reads.
That same day, Johnson allegedly told other residents that he obtained a new gun and ‘would kill someone.’
Two days later, Johnson was also seen flashing his gun to others on the sidewalk.
But after receiving the eviction order, Johnson told property managers he would comply with the lease agreement moving forward, and the landlord allowed him to stay so long as he agreed to no longer display his gun or any other weapon.
Johnson was due to appear in court for an eviction proceeding on September 11.
A motive for the shooting remained unclear, though Minneapolis police said they were ‘familiar’ with the suspect.
Shoreline Plaza resident Chris Miller told the Minneapolis Star Tribune the suspect told him earlier in the week how he planned to shoot his ex-girlfriend and two building property managers.
He further claimed he emailed building management, warning them of Johnson’s remarks just days before the tragedy.
Police said Wednesday night that they were ‘familiar’ with the suspect
Images and posts made to his Facebook page indicate that he was the father of two young girls
Miller went on to explain how he first met Johnson when Miller moved into the building a couple of months ago, and that on a couple of occasions, he showed Miller his handgun and his concealed carry permit.
Miller also noted that the gunman lived alone and had at least a couple of kids who did not live with him, but was mad about a recent breakup.
‘He was very, very angry, drunk and mad,’ said Miller.
Derrick Thompson, who had just moved out of the complex, also told the outlet how he would regularly see Johnson outside drinking.
He said the suspect was involved in a child custody dispute, and his car was recently repossessed.
‘He was fighting people every day, every damn day,’ Thompson lamented. ‘He lost everything.’
Then just moments before the shooting, another resident claims, Johnson said he was going to kill the mother of his child.
The unidentified woman told Fox 6 she was taking her young daughter to get some food when she encountered the gunman on the ninth floor.
One of the victims was fatally shot at the scene, and one died after arriving at the hospital
One officer was shot in the leg and another was shot twice in the abdomen, officials said
‘I was already in the building when he grabbed me and said, “I’m going to kill my baby mama and you’re going to witness it,” and I’m like, “Let me go and quit playing with me,”‘ she recounted.
Johnson then decided to let go of her, saying: ‘You know what, I’m [going to] let you go for the simple fact that you don’t deserve this. You always pray for me. You always keep me uplifted.’
Still, the woman said, he vowed to kill the mother of his child ‘and I said “quit playing.”‘
‘Next thing you know, I come back, we can’t get in the building. He did it.’
In total, seven patients were rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, one of whom was later pronounced dead, spokesman Jonathan Comito said.
At the news conference on Wednesday night, Peterson said he was ‘sickened’ by the tragedy.
‘It’s truly sickening that in my career, 31 years here, that is the third incident like this that has happened,’ he said.
‘But our officers have shown that they are willing and they do respond towards gunfire when others are running from it, and it’s absolutely heroic.’
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also commended the police officers, saying if it was not for their ‘heroic work, the death toll would be higher.’