Man Charged After 2 Shot Outside Graduation at Mariucci Arena

Jun 2

A 20-year-old man has been charged after allegedly firing a modified handgun into a crowd outside a high school graduation ceremony in Minneapolis, injuring two people.

Hamza Abdirashid Said is charged with three felony counts including first-degree assault causing great bodily harm, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and illegal possession of a machine gun or conversion kit.

The charges stem from the May 30 shooting near Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

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According to the complaint, University of Minnesota police responded around 8 p.m. to reports of gunfire at the east entrance of Mariucci Arena during a Wayzata High School graduation event. Officers arrived to find one man with a gunshot wound to the head who was conscious but unable to feel his right arm. He told officers he had been standing with family after the ceremony when he saw a group of people arguing behind him. He said he ran as a gunshot rang out, and about 20 yards later, he felt a burning sensation in his head and collapsed.

He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where a CT scan showed a skull fracture and brain bleed. Medical staff told police the injured part of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body.

A second victim was found nearby with a gunshot wound to the upper portion of his leg. Officers applied a tourniquet before he was transported to the hospital. He was not cooperative with investigators at the scene.

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Surveillance footage from a University of Minnesota camera reportedly shows a male wearing a black gown running south from the entrance. The video shows him lifting the gown to his stomach while reaching for his waistband. He then extends his right hand toward one of the victims and appears to fire multiple rounds from a handgun before fleeing.

The man in the video can be seen discarding clothing near Williams Arena, including the black gown, a black facemask and shirt, and what officers later found to be a Glock 17 with an extended magazine and a machine gun conversion switch.

A witness nearby saw the suspect run toward Williams Arena after hearing gunfire. Officers later stopped a man matching the description walking west on Pleasant Street who tried to avoid eye contact and was wearing his shirt backwards. He was identified as Hamza Abdirashid Said and taken into custody.

The complaint says officers are still working to determine whether Said was inside the graduation event before the shooting occurred.

Said remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail with an initial court appearance scheduled for Tuesday. If convicted of the most serious charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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