4 charged after Brooklyn Park shooting leaves football player paralyzed

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - Four men have been charged after a shooting following a basketball game left one Brooklyn Park football player paralyzed below the knees.

Michael Blidi Jr. shooting

The backstory:

Charges filed in Hennepin County Court state that on May 29, Brooklyn Park officers responded around 12:30 a.m. to a shooting that occurred on the 6000 block of Garwood Road North.

When they arrived, officers observed several people outside, including Michael Blidi Jr., who had a gunshot wound to his lower back and told officers he could not feel his legs. Doctors later determined he had multiple fractures to his spine and large bullet fragments inside his spinal canal, according to charges.

Blidi Jr. told police that he had parked his car when two men wearing ski masks – later identified as Harris and Kamara – drove by and fired at them.

Dig deeper:

Through an investigation, authorities determined that a few days prior, Blidi Jr. was involved in an altercation with a couple of men during a basketball game that ultimately led to him punching one of them.

Earlier in the day, on May 28, one of the men was then communicating on social media, saying he would "take care of it," according to the charges.

Blidi Jr. told police he believed the shooting was in retaliation for the earlier fight, charges state.

Shooting charges

What we know:

Authorities say four men have since been charged in connection with the shooting:

• Trokon Kaigboyah, 36, of Champlin is charged with aiding an offender, and is suspected of being the shooter.
• Hassan Kamara, 22, of Minneapolis and Osman Kamara, 21, of Brooklyn Center are both charged with assault.
• Nicholas Harris, 22. Of Brooklyn Park is also charged with assault.

Blidi Jr. recovery

What's next:

A GoFundMe created to "Help Michael Blidi Jr. Walk Again" says a gunshot wound to his spinal cord left Blidi Jr. paralyzed from the knees down. The campaign has so far gathered around $16,500 of its $30,000 goal.

The same post says Blidi had a full scholarship to play football at Iowa Central prior to the incident.

Blidi Jr. is the brother of NFL defensive tackle Philip Blidi, who plays for the Tennessee Titans.