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Somali community in Minnesota calls for action after teen killed, others charged in shootings
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    Friday June 13, 2025


    Hassan Mohamed (top), a community leader, joins Somali elder (bottom left) and psychologist Dr. Salma Hussein (bottom right) in calling for urgent community-led solutions after a wave of shootings involving Somali youth in Minnesota.

    MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (HOL) — A 15-year-old boy was arrested last week in connection with a fatal shooting outside Northtown Mall in Blaine, the latest in a string of incidents involving Somali youth that has left the community alarmed and searching for solutions.

    The victim, also 15, was shot and killed near the metro-area shopping center on June 6. Apart from the 15-year-old suspect, 20-year-old Ayub Abdullahi Mohamed faces charges of aiding an offender for allegedly fleeing the scene with a firearm magazine.

    The shooting was one of three incidents in recent weeks involving Somali youth. On May 30, gunfire erupted outside Wayzata High School’s graduation ceremony at the University of Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena, injuring a 19-year-old and a 49-year-old bystander. Authorities charged 20-year-old Hamza Abdirashid Said with possessing a modified machine pistol equipped with a “switch” to fire automatically — a violation of federal firearms law.

    In a separate incident outside Burnsville High School’s graduation the following day, police arrested four suspects following a drive-by shooting. Abdullahi Jama Ali and Abdikani Mukhtar Abdiwahab, both 18, now face felony charges. Another man, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 18, has been charged federally with possessing a machine gun.

    While police have cited gang affiliations in some cases, Somali community members say the violence is rooted in broader issues — including trauma, alienation, and the absence of culturally responsive youth services.

    Somali elders say the violence threatens to unravel the fabric of a community that fled conflict in Somalia only to face instability at home.

    “We left civil war in Somalia. We don’t want to have civil war here,” said said Hassan Mohamed, a community member.

    The violence has triggered community-wide discussions across mosques, schools, and homes. Leaders say the time has come to invest in long-term solutions that prioritize prevention over punishment.

    Dr. Salma Hussein, a psychologist and youth advocate, said teaching young people how to resolve conflict is essential. “Teach young men that self-defence can look like and should look like asking for help, can and should look like sitting down and having a mediation,” she said.

    Efforts to reach Somali youth are not new. In 2023, fireworks incidents near the University of Minnesota campus caused alarm. Somali leaders, including Hassanen Mohamed of the Minnesota Somali Community Center, stepped in to de-escalate tensions.

    “Some of the youth we knew who their parents are, and we called them,” Mohamed said. “What worked in Dinkytown… can work in Burnsville.”

    Community advocates are now urging state and local leaders to support the creation of youth centers and mentorship programs designed specifically for Somali American teens.

    As the Fourth of July approaches — often a time of large gatherings — Somali leaders across the Twin Cities metro area are organizing additional outreach events. The Somali community, one of Minnesota’s largest immigrant populations, has called for immediate action before another tragedy occurs. 

     





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