Canterbury Park Expo Center shooting: Man indicted for first-degree murder
Suspect to be charged in Shakopee fatal shooting
The suspect the fatal shooting during a prayer service in Shakopee is expected to be charged in the coming days. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has more.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A grand jury has formally indicted a man in connection with a deadly shooting that happened outside a private prayer service in Shakopee.
Canterbury Park Expo Center shooting
What we know:
Mohamed Abdirizak Rage, 29, has been indicted on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder in the May 27 killing of Khalid Abdi.
According to charges filed in Scott County Court, the shooting happened outside Canterbury Park Expo Center in Shakopee, where a group of people — including Abdi's wife — had gathered for a private prayer service.
According to investigators, Rage threatened to fight Abdi during the gathering. Abdi responded by asking Rage to leave him alone, saying he "didn't want to fight." A physical altercation followed but was broken up by bystanders.
Court documents state Abdi and his wife then walked through the venue's parking lot. According to Abdi's wife, who witnessed the shooting, Rage followed them — and Abdi tried to run before being shot. Abdi was transported to Hennepin Healthcare, where he later died from a gunshot wound to his torso.
Shakopee Police officers had initially been dispatched to the scene after a report of a weapons violation.
When they arrived, they learned someone had been shot and that the shooter had fled.
Surveillance footage and additional witness statements gathered by Shakopee Police appeared to corroborate the account provided by Abdi's wife, according to investigators. Rage turned himself in to the Shakopee Police Department on May 28.
Murder indictment
Dig deeper:
A grand jury reviewed the facts of the case and found sufficient probable cause to move forward with one of the most serious charges possible.
After the indictment was unsealed, Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar addressed the circumstances surrounding the killing.
"The fact that this homicide occurred immediately following a sacred service that celebrates community values of peace, charity, and togetherness makes this murder particularly heinous," said Hocevar. "And shooting an unarmed, fleeing person is simply unconscionable. The entire community, not the least of whom is Mr. Abdi's widow, has been traumatized by this murder."
Bail has been set at $5 million with conditions and $6.5 million without conditions.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear when Rage is expected to appear in court following the indictment.
The Source: Information was provided by the Scott County Attorney's Office.