Man Charged with Murder After Fatal Shooting at Rochester Apartment

Jul 14

A Rochester man is facing multiple felony charges after police say he shot and killed another man during a dispute over money and marijuana earlier this month.

Ibrahim Abukaar Abdi, 31, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of ammunition or a firearm due to a prior adjudication for violent crimes.

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The shooting occurred around 11:30 a.m. on July 3 at the Villages at Essex Park, a large apartment complex off 41st Street Northwest. Officers responded to reports of a shooting and found the victim, 35-year-old Sadik Yusuf, lying on the sidewalk near the a building with a gunshot wound to the neck. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but the man died at the scene.

According to the charges, a man who witnessed the shooting told police he had been with Abdi and another person earlier that day. He said the three of them went to a Western Union location on 37th Street before returning to Essex Park. After the third person left, Abdi and the witness were standing outside when the Yusuf drove up. The witness said Yusuf confronted Abdi about money and disrespect, then took a bag of marijuana from him. Abdi allegedly pulled a gun from a satchel and shot the victim once in the neck before fleeing the area.

The witness said he stayed behind to try to help Yusuf until officers arrived.

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Investigators spoke with the third man, who confirmed he had been with Abdi and the witness that morning and began receiving calls from Abdi afterward. He told police that when he got home, he found Abdi there acting strangely. He gave officers the number Abdi had used to call him.

On July 7, investigators used location data from Abdi’s phone to track him to another building within the same apartment complex. Officers arrested him without incident.

Police say Abdi initially claimed he didn’t know anything about the shooting and denied being with either witness that day. He also said he didn’t recognize the victim’s name and denied being near Essex Park. But surveillance video contradicted his statement, showing him walking toward the area just before the shooting and walking away immediately afterward. When confronted with the footage, Abdi reportedly said, “Yeah, that’s crazy. I don’t remember.”

Abdi is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior juvenile adjudications for violent offenses, including threats of violence and second-degree burglary.

Abdi made an initial court appearance on July 9, where bail was set at $1 million. He remains in custody and if convicted on the most serious charge, he faces up to 40 years in prison.

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