Five Minneapolis homicides — including a February mass shooting outside a market — are at the heart of the latest federal racketeering case to take aim at a street gang in the city. The latest target: the northside-based Lows, described by law enforcement as the most violent among its peers.

The new charges, announced Wednesday by U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, chart a three-year path of bloodshed that saw rivals and bystanders alike killed amid a long-running gang war. Eleven alleged members of the Lows are named in the indictment, which also includes allegations of gun and drug trafficking.

“The murders and shootings alleged in this indictment should shock the conscience of every law-abiding citizen in the city,” Luger said in a press conference Wednesday. “To put it simply, the existence of the Lows gang constitutes a threat to the sanctity of human life and we will continue to take all appropriate steps under the law to remove this threat.”

The Lows indictment bookends an initiative launched by Luger’s office in May 2023 to use complex conspiracy charges to disrupt Minneapolis’ most prominent gangs. The charges follow similar indictments against alleged members of the Bloods, 10z/20z and Highs gangs and brings the tally of those charged to beyond 90 people. Earlier this month, Luger’s office won its first racketeering conviction since starting this work when a jury found three alleged Bloods members guilty of charges that covered racketeering and using a firearm to carry out murder.

All of those charged in this latest case — some of whom have related state prosecutions pending — are in custody and were expected to make first appearances in St. Paul. None of them had attorneys listed as representing them as of late Wednesday, according to the federal court docket.

The Lows street gang has existed in Minneapolis since about 2004 and claims as its territory a section of north Minneapolis south of Broadway Avenue while the rival Highs gang operates north of that road. According to court documents, the murder that year of 18-year-old Christopher Little, identified by law enforcement as “a known Lows member,” intensified a rivalry with the Highs that has since included “hundreds of shootings and murders” in their territories.

A grand jury on Monday returned the latest 18-count indictment under seal charging 11 alleged Lows members with crimes including racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking and drug trafficking. The indictment charged 78 “overt acts committed in furtherance of the enterprise” – including seven murders or attempted murders involving 10 victims. Bystanders were struck on two occasions. A judge unsealed the charges Wednesday amid the first federal court appearances in the case.

Those charged include: Ashimiyu Alowonle III, 38; Timothy Calender III, 26; Glenn Carter III, 23; Victor Collins, 22; Damari Douglas, 20; Deontae Jackson, 35; Shannon Jackson, 32; Robert Knights Jr, 19; Albert Lucas V, 20; Kaprice Richards, 23; Cartrelle Smith, 27.

Henderson added that his health has steadily deteriorated since the attack, noting, “I now have issues with my speech, and my need for oxygen has become almost permanent. … My back hurts more than it ever has, often leaving me bed-ridden. … I struggle to walk even short distances due to the pain.”

Also speaking at sentencing was Sharon Henderson, who said of her husband, “The funny, joyful man I once knew is now a shadow of himself — sad and depressed, acutely aware that he has lost the best years of his life. … The laughter and light that once filled our lives have been replaced by sorrow, a daily reminder of what we once had.”

According to the criminal complaint:

The day after the attack, Henderson told police an SUV was closely following him after he had exited Interstate 35 at 210th Street W. After the two parked, the other driver confronted Henderson, yelled obscenities, accused him of cutting him off and threatened to beat him.

Beckett then ordered Henderson to go behind the Walmart, saying he wanted to be somewhere without surveillance cameras.

Henderson was with his mother-in-law and told her to go inside the store to get help.

“Some of the proposed changes are really trying to address the post-COVID ridership trends and help encourage riders back on the system,” Linnell said.

In addition, eligibility for the Transit Assistance Program (TAP) for low-income passengers would be expanded from one year to two, meaning passengers won’t have to sign up every year. Launched in 2017, TAP features $1 rides for the nearly 4,800 people currently enrolled in the program.

If the proposal is adopted, annual fare revenue would drop $4.1 million. but ridership is projected to increase by about 926,000rides.

“We anticipate that we’ll still increase our revenue but it won’t increase quite as fast as anticipated,” said Dennis Dworshak, Metro Transit’s senior manager of revenue operations.

However, one member of the Met Council asked why fares weren’t being increased rather than decreased.

“It seems like we’re putting a lot of money into making a nice [transit] system, but it’s worth less and less and less to our customers, and that’s concerning to me,” said Wendy Wulff, who has served on the council since 2009 after being initially appointed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty to represent the southern suburbs. (Members of the Met Council are appointed by the current governor.)