Nine clusters of damaged vehicles were reported within roughly five hours, but police have not determined whether the cases share the same suspects.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Minneapolis police are investigating a widespread burst of vehicle vandalism that damaged at least 87 cars at nine locations early Aug. 21, with reports stretching from Northeast Minneapolis through downtown and into south Minneapolis.
The incidents were reported from about 2:18 a.m. through 7:10 a.m., creating a trail of shattered windows across the city. Investigators said some reports included similar descriptions of a suspect vehicle, but there was no single vehicle or suspect description common to every incident. Police therefore have not said all nine cases were committed by the same people.
The first incident on the police timeline was reported at about 2:18 a.m. on the 1400 block of Marshall Street Northeast, where 10 vehicles were damaged. About 20 minutes later, three vehicles were reported damaged near Washington Avenue South and Fourth Avenue South. Police also counted five damaged vehicles on the 600 block of Washington Street Northeast.
Reports continued through the early morning. Three vehicles were damaged on the 300 block of Second Street South at about 3:18 a.m. The largest single group came about 20 minutes later on the 2700 block of First Avenue South, where police counted 37 damaged vehicles.
Police then recorded eight damaged vehicles on the 700 block of Sixth Avenue Southeast at about 4:33 a.m. and nine on the 100 block of Marquette Avenue at about 4:44 a.m. Ten vehicles were reported damaged near Second Street Northeast and Third Avenue Northeast shortly before 6 a.m., followed by two on the 300 block of Fifth Avenue Northeast shortly after 7 a.m.
The official count did not capture every damaged vehicle observed by local reporters. Bring Me The News reported finding about a dozen vehicles with smashed driver-side windows along Nicollet Avenue between roughly 24th and 27th streets, along with additional damage near Stevens Avenue and 27th Street. Those locations were not included in the nine incidents listed by police, leaving open the possibility that the citywide total exceeded 87.
At least 19 vehicles were also reported damaged outside apartment buildings near Boom Island Park on Northeast Second Street. Residents and reporters found similar scenes elsewhere: glass scattered inside vehicles, broken side windows and owners facing repair bills while trying to determine whether anything had been taken.
One vehicle owner interviewed by FOX 9 said his car had already been broken into earlier in August. During the earlier incident, he said about $20 was taken from the center console. He said nothing appeared to have been stolen during the Aug. 21 break-in, but another damaged window meant another repair expense.
The Aug. 21 cases also followed another significant vehicle-damage incident days earlier. FOX 9 reported that 34 vehicles were damaged in a separate Minneapolis case in which police said a man used a flashlight to break windows. Authorities have not publicly established a connection between that earlier event and the nine incidents reported Aug. 21.
No arrests had been announced in connection with the 87-vehicle spree in the latest reports reviewed. Minneapolis police continued investigating possible links among the cases and sought surveillance recordings or other video that could help establish who was responsible and whether the damage was part of one coordinated series or several separate crimes.
Author note: Last updated August 30, 2026.