That on July 5, 2025, at approximately 2:35 A.M. Officers were on duty in the downtown Minneapolis bar district to assist with added police presence and proactive patrols during bar close during the Fourth of July holiday period. Sgt. M. O. Was checking vehicles in a parking lot and saw a handgun in plain view tucked partially underneath the front driver’s seat of a Ford Fusion, Minnesota license HXK221. The officers planned to have the vehicle towed to obtain a search warrant to recover the firearm.
Before they could do so, an individual later identified as Malik Kadeem Sanneh and Defendant herein, approached the officers and told them that the Ford Fusion was his vehicle and asked why the officers were by his car. Officers explained and when asked, Defendant stated that he did not have a permit to carry a firearm. A subsequent check confirmed that Defendant was the registered owner of the Ford Fusion. Officers removed the firearm from Defendant’s unlocked vehicle, which was a Glock 36.45 caliber.
The gun was loaded with a live round chambered, and a pistol magazine that contained live ammunition, plus two additional pistol magazines were found in Defendant’s vehicle. After Miranda, Defendant stated he drove downtown after 9:00 P.M. On July 4, 2025, because he works as a host at Gidi Bar and Lounge located at 322 1st Avenue North, which is in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Defendant said he arrived in the parking lot, parked his vehicle, paid for parking, placed the ticket in his vehicle and did not return to his vehicle.
Defendant stated he cannot lock his vehicle because the key fob is broken and does not work. Defendant stated no one else had access to his vehicle and he did not have any passengers with him that evening. Defendant stated that he does not have a permit to carry and does not own any firearms. Defendant told officers that he was confused about how a firearm was found in his vehicle and was willing to cooperate with police. Defendant provided a voluntary sample of his saliva. Officer J. P. Collected two swabs of Defendant’s saliva and sealed and placed them into a Minnesota BCA Known Collection Kit.
Officers also swabbed the firearm and sent those swabs to the Minnesota BCA for analysis along with the saliva samples collected from Defendant. After testing both samples, the Minnesota BCA reported that the DNA sample collected from the gun found in Defendant’s vehicle matched the DNA profile of Defendant.
