Star Tribune
Mankato police and city officials meet with Muslim community at Islamic Center of Mankato
MANKATO – City and police officials attempted to reassure members of the Muslim community of Mankato recently after concerns about a suspected arson at a mosque.
“Every single Mankatoan has value and should feel safe,” said Jeremy Clifton, Mankato’s recently appointed director of public safety, before a gathering of about 40 attendees at the Islamic Center of Mankato on Friday.
Last week, members at the mosque said a man attempted to set part of their mosque on fire as part of a “brazen” act on Sunday afternoon. The Mankato police, however, said the Islamic Center of Mankato had not faced any threat, and a man was simply lighting firecrackers.
Clifton on Friday said the man who lit firecrackers near the mosque apologized.
The public safety director added that he will have better communication with leaders in the Muslim community in the future.
The man, who was not identified, has been cited for sale, possession and use of prohibited fireworks, a misdemeanor, the Mankato Department of Public Safety said in a statement last week.
People gathered at the mosque for Friday prayers said they felt Mankato police had downplayed their concerns. Abdi Sabrie, a co-founder and board member of the mosque, said many in the Muslim community in Mankato worry about their safety after the reelection of Donald Trump. He said the president-elect’s first term led to an increase in anti-Muslim vandalism attempts in Minnesota.
In 2016, a shirtless man attempted to tear down the Islamic Center’s sign, and in 2021, two vandals spray-painted slurs on a car owned by a member of the mosque.
Star Tribune
Former youth leader for Duluth Vineyard church, Jackson Gatlin, sentenced to prison for sexual assault
Since Gatlin’s plea earlier this month, nine victims have filed civil charges against him — in addition to his parents, Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA, its governing body.
In the civil complaints filed November 6, Gatlin is accused of extended hugs, touching teenaged girls over and under their clothes, making them touch him, tackling them in the guise of playing games, and raping them. He is accused of tying a girl to his bedpost. In one case, Brenda Gatlin reportedly walked into her bedroom and found her son sexually assaulting a girl. Nothing came of it, according to the complaint.
Gatlin told several girls that he was going to teach them and show them the love of god, according to court documents. A parent found sexual text messages from Jackson Gatlin to their daughter and notified at least one of his parents.
The Gatlins, Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA are accused of continuing to give Jackson Gatlin access to minors, even though leadership had been told of his action, not providing proper training, covering up information and not going to the local police department, among other accusations.
Jackson Gatlin was fired from his position within the church in mid-February 2023 and was not allowed back on the church campus. Michael Gatlin resigned as senior pastor at Duluth Vineyard and from various positions and board tied to the church in February 2023. He had been with the church for 2 years. Brenda Gatlin, who was a super regional leader for Vineyard USA, followed suit.
Officials on Monday released the identity of a man who was killed late last week in St. Paul in a drive-by shooting.
Andre Lorenzo Mitchell, 26, of Minneapolis, was shot shortly after 1:30 p.m. Friday in the 600 block of Aurora Avenue, steps away from the Rondo Community Library and St. Albans Church of God. police said.
No arrests have been announced.
Mitchell was in a parked vehicle with another male and two small children when a second car drove by, shots were fired, and the car’s driver fled. No one else was injured in the shooting, and Mitchell died while being transported by ambulance.
Police are asking that anyone with information about the shooting to contact police at 651-266-5650.
There have been 10 homicides over the past two months in St. Paul, eight of them committed from gunfire, according to police reports.
So far this year, the homicide tally in St. Paul stands at 29, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune database. That’s the same number at this point last year in the city.
An armed student was arrested Monday morning at Moorhead High School Career Academy.
The school district said in a news release that staff took immediate action after being notified around 9:40 a.m. by Moorhead police about a potential threat involving a high school student. At the time of notification, the student wasn’t on campus, but “school staff remained vigilant and on alert,” the release said.
“We are grateful for the rapid response and collaboration between our staff and law enforcement. The safety, security and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priorities, and we are proud of the systems and protocols in place to address situations like this effectively,” Superintendent Brandon Lunak said in the news release.
The student arrived on campus in possession of a firearm around 10:25 a.m. The student was arrested and the situation was quickly resolved without incident, the district said.
In a message to parents, Lunak said police and school staff had been on the lookout for the student.
“Please rest assured that we take all threats seriously and will not tolerate any actions that compromise the safety and security of our schools,” the message said. “Our established threat assessment processes continue to work effectively, and we remain dedicated to maintaining a safe environment for all students and staff.”
Messages left with Moorhead Police Capt. Derek Swenson were not immediately returned.
