Three Gay 90's patrons injured during Monday morning downtown Minneapolis shootout

Four people were injured during a post-bar close shootout near the Warehouse District.

Pride weekend ended on a very unfortunate note for three Gay 90's patrons injured in a shootout outside the bar this morning.

Police say an argument that began at the nearby Atrium Apartments on the 300 block of Hennepin Avenue spilled down the street and turned violent. Three innocent victims were hit with bullets while standing outside Gay 90's just after bar close and were eventually transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, WCCO reports.

One suspect was chased down near Second Street and Washington Avenue and was shot by an officer after threatening the police. The person shot by police and the other suspect are in custody. Police say the incident is still under investigation.

Downtown crime has become a big problem for police this year. In February and March, police struggled to tamp down a string of brutal and random mob attacks that left at least a half-dozen innocent victims seriously injured. On the whole, downtown violent crime was up 56 percent through the first five months of the year.

The area nearby the Warehouse District, especially around bar close time, has been one of the biggest trouble spots. Early this month, the Star Tribune reported that each weekend, police stationed along First Avenue North at bar close "spray chemical irritants to keep clubgoers moving and break up fights."

Summer usually brings larger and rowdier crowds downtown. This morning's incident suggests the season is not off to an auspicious start.

Related coverage:
-- Downtown Minneapolis: Robberies this year have more than doubled compared to 2011
-- Whatever happened to the downtown Minneapolis mobs that beat people senselessly?
-- Downtown Minneapolis rocked by six violent "flash mob" attacks during last two months
-- Minneapolis: Violent crime continues to decrease