Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison asked a judge Friday to prohibit members of two rival gangs from gathering at the Minnesota State Fair, citing a string of alleged incidents at the fairgrounds and elsewhere in the Twin Cities.
What the lawsuit seeks
The complaint names the so-called Ville and Muddy gangs and asks the court to bar members of either group from “associating, standing, sitting, walking, driving, bicycling, gathering or appearing” at the State Fair in the company of other known Ville or Muddy members. Prosecutors also want the court to prohibit gang members from confronting or harassing anyone identified as a rival.
The filing connects both gangs to what it describes as a series of violent incidents at recent State Fairs and other public events around the metropolitan area. It says social media posts encouraged confrontation at this year’s fair, including a post allegedly promoting “the biggest battle of the summer” at the fair on Aug. 29 that listed specific individuals from both groups.
Alleged incidents cited in the suit
The suit recounts multiple episodes that prosecutors say demonstrate a pattern of violence and public endangerment when rival members converge.
- A fight at the 2025 State Fair that prompted “panic” near the Midway and included a video prosecutors say shows Ville members taunting rivals shortly before another altercation.
- An alleged shooting by an accused Ville member near Grand Casino Arena in May (year not specified in the filing).
- A shooting tied to both gangs at the Burnsville High School graduation ceremony in 2025, according to the complaint.
- Muddy members stopped at a Somali Independence Day festival last year who were accused of carrying handguns with extended magazines.
- An alleged shooting by a Muddy member on the final day of the 2024 State Fair, occurring just outside the fairgrounds perimeter.
| Incident | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|
| State Fair fight with Midway panic | State Fairgrounds | 2025 |
| Shooting near arena | Grand Casino Arena area | (May; year cited in filing) |
| Burnsville High graduation shooting | Burnsville | 2025 |
| Somali Independence Day stop for alleged weapons | Festival site | Last year |
| State Fair perimeter shooting | Near State Fairgrounds | 2024 |
Safety concerns and legal context
Prosecutors argue the fair — a long-standing statewide event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year — becomes an especially dangerous setting when rival groups are present. The complaint emphasizes that the risk extends beyond intended targets to other fairgoers caught in crowds or in the path of violent confrontations.
“The kind of violence that at a setting like the state fair, the danger is not only to the people being targeted by someone who’s shooting or wielding a knife, but those who are around them,”
The quoted observation comes from Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, and is included in court filings to underline the broader public-safety stakes.
Ramsey County and the Attorney General are asking for injunctive relief — a court order that would legally restrict members of the named groups from assembling together on fair property. If granted, the order would be an extraordinary preventive measure aimed at limiting contact between those the lawsuit identifies as rivals.
Local impact and what comes next
The State Fair is scheduled to open later this month. Organizers and law enforcement typically coordinate on security plans for the event, but a court-imposed restriction aimed at specific groups would add a legal enforcement mechanism that could change how officers respond to gatherings involving alleged gang members.
The lawsuit is the latest high-profile effort by state and local prosecutors to use civil remedies — including restraining orders and injunctions — to disrupt gang activity linked to public violence. The judge assigned to the case will now consider whether to issue temporary or permanent restrictions and must weigh constitutional concerns, including freedom of association, against the asserted public-safety risk.
As this litigation proceeds, attendees to the fair and local community members will be watching how the court balances individual rights with measures intended to protect public events frequented by families and visitors from across Minnesota.
Additional hearings and filings are expected in the coming days as both sides present evidence and legal arguments to the court.
