Carjacking spree puts Twin Cities on edge

A Minneapolis carjacking spree in late October and early November once again has the Twin Cities on edge following last winter's surge.

What happened: Minneapolis police reported six attempted carjackings on the city's south side on Oct. 29, and then six more on Nov. 1.

Why it matters: Carjackings don't just result in people losing their vehicles. The crimes also deteriorate the sense of safety in neighborhoods.

The big picture: More than 440 carjackings had been reported to the Minneapolis Police Department so far this year, a 38% increase over the same period last year, according to the Star Tribune. That's on top of a big increase in 2020.

• Carjackings also spiked in St. Paul earlier this year, but the city hasn't seen any new increases since spring, as the Strib notes.
• Other cities, like New Orleans, Chicago and Oakland, have also reported massive increases in the past 18 months.

Zoom in: Axios recently obtained security video of a carjacking in South Minneapolis, outside of Ken & Norm's liquor store, on the evening of Nov. 2.

• It surprised assistant store manager Nikki Dupey because it happened in a well-lit, busy parking lot on the bustling corner of 48th and Chicago.
• "It was very, very bold," she told Axios.

Details: The video shows a young woman in a white sweatshirt leaving the store and approaching her white BMW at around 9:20pm.

• Four men are waiting for her in a dark SUV. They get out, demand her booze, purse and keys, and take off in both vehicles.
• She then returns to the store, where Dupey said she told workers what happened and that one of them had a gun.

And if you watch closely, the video shows a man walking through the middle of the carjacking attempt, talking on a cell phone.

• "He saw the gun and I think it (he decided) 'I'm just gonna kind of keep my nose down and not get involved,'" Dupey said.

What they're saying: The victim reported the incident to police and the store gave them the footage. The victim didn't want to be interviewed, but told Axios that police had recovered her car.

• She didn't know the condition of the vehicle.

Of note: Minneapolis police didn't respond to two messages seeking comment on whether or not there's been an arrest in this case, as well as in the other recent carjackings.