MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) –
A 30-year-old Minneapolis man is recovering from what’s being described as a brutal attack that occurred after he left a bar and headed for a downtown bus stop by himself early Sunday morning.
The victim lost teeth and his shattered jaw is now wired shut, and the investigation is complicated because he can’t remember what happened after he left the eagleBOLTbar on Washington Avenue South.
“He is very sore, and of course, with his jaw wired shut, it is hard for him to eat,” Jason Little told Fox 9 News.
Little admits he is having a tough time coming to terms with what happened to his close friend, Jeremy, over the weekend.
“He doesn’t remember anything. Clearly, something came up from behind. It was very quick and extremely violent,” Little said.
The details of what occurred are few, and much of that is because the victim remembers nothing but a flash or two before he was abandoned in the cold street with a partially severed tongue that doctors at HCMC were able to reattach.
“Also [he] has bruises — some boot-shaped bruises — on his body,” Little said.
Fox 9 News will not divulge Jeremy’s last name, but he was willing to share photos from his hospital bed of the injuries that have been the best guide in determining what took place after he headed down Portland Avenue to catch a bus home.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of details right now,” Little said. “Hopefully, with the story on the news, we’ll get more information if someone saw something — but of course, there’s a lot of violence toward members of the LGBT community, and that’s something we’re thinking about. Could it be related?”
Police will only say that it’s an open investigation and that they are exploring all possibilities, but friends note that Jeremy was not robbed.
Now, Jeremy and his loved ones are beginning a long and expensive road to healing as they wait for answers. An online fund has been set up to help offset his medical costs, and more than $5,000 has already been raised.
“He is one of those people who spends so much time taking care of other people,” Little said. “I’m so glad he has a community around him to take care of him and his partner at this time.”
The LGBT advocacy group OutFront Minnesota told Fox 9 News they are closely monitoring the case to see if it turns into a possible hate crime.
