MINNEAPOLIS— It was a chaotic scene in Dinkytown around midnight on Monday, with fireworks being shot off in the street.
Some of those responsible came right up to a WCCO camera to brag about it.
“I just f***ed with the whole town,” one youth said with his face covered. “I threw fireworks everywhere. Look at my fingers, burned by the fireworks.”
Another youth said: “The fireworks are not for people. They are just for fun. We are not trying to hurt anyone.”
No one was injured, and Minneapolis police even told WCCO that there were “a few reports of fireworks, but… nothing substantial to report.”
Officers from the city and the University of Minnesota blocked roads but did not appear to try to disperse the crowd when a WCCO camera was in place.
An officer shook hands with one of the teens, smiling.
“They literally did nothing,” said Nina Snowise, who works at Frank and Andrea Pizza in Dinkytown and also lives nearby.
Snowise says many fireworks shows like this weekend take place near the famous restaurant.
She says Frank and Andrea hired security over the weekend and won’t allow minors in after 11 p.m
“It’s just awkward because you don’t know it’s fireworks unless you see the fireworks,” Snowise said. “Last night I knew it was fireworks, I saw the lights, but the other times I heard them I thought, ‘That’s a really loud bang. What the hell was that?’ It just doesn’t feel safe to be here at night when all this is happening.”
In March, UMPD Chief Matt Clark shared a plan for a safety center in Dinkytown that would become a hub of sorts for police, the community and students.
Clark told the University of Minnesota Board of Regents at the time, “There has been a reduction in crime, but there is also a need to increase our safety education, resources and engagement.”
Minneapolis police say the number of robberies and assaults in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood near campus is similar to last year, but vandalism and thefts have increased.
