Duluth police investigating Piedmont Avenue shooting; one man found dead

Duluth police discovered a male victim with apparent gunshot wounds in the 400 block of Piedmont Avenue Tuesday afternoon, prompting a large law-enforcement response and an active homicide investigation. Officers arriving at the scene near the Piedmont Avenue and West Fourth Street intersection located the man deceased and closed nearby streets as detectives and first responders secured the area.

Public information from the Duluth Police Department was issued just after 4:30 p.m., and spokesperson Mattie Hjelseth said, "This remains an active and ongoing investigation and no further information will be released at this time. We encourage the public to stay away from the area to allow our officers room to work." Local crews reported multiple squad cars staged near the intersection, yellow crime-scene tape and tents set up as authorities processed the scene.

The shooting was reported in the vicinity of Lincoln Park, with some accounts placing the incident near Goat Hill and just southwest of Enger Tower and Central Park. The intersection reference of Piedmont Avenue and West Fourth Street is consistent across dispatch and on-scene reports; the differing neighborhood labels reflect how residents and outlets describe that stretch of the hill.

Local media crews and a resident video shared with reporters showed a man lying near a maroon SUV, imagery that underscores the severity of the scene. Police have not released the victim’s identity, and no arrests, motive, or detailed suspect description were made public in the initial notifications. Authorities asked the community to avoid the immediate area to give investigators room to work and to preserve any potential evidence.

A separate incident-details entry on a Duluth information page lists "Offender: Deceased" and "Weapon: Gun; unknown type." That notation conflicts with contemporaneous statements indicating police are actively searching for a shooter. The discrepancy remains unresolved and should be clarified by investigators before being treated as fact.

For neighbors and commuters, the immediate impact includes local road closures and an expanded police presence in a part of the city that connects downtown with the hill neighborhoods. Community safety concerns and questions about violence patterns in Lincoln Park and Goat Hill are likely to follow as investigators develop a timeline and any potential leads.

What comes next: Duluth police investigators will continue processing the scene and canvassing for witnesses, and officials have asked anyone with information or media who recorded relevant footage to contact investigators. Residents should expect further updates as the department confirms the victim’s identity, clarifies the status of any suspect, and releases additional findings.