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Downtown St. Paul shooting: Police announce multiple arrests
Authorities arrested multiple suspects who they say were involved a shooting that injured two people near the St. Paul RiverCentre.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Weeks after dozens of rounds were fired in downtown St. Paul near the RiverCentre during a chaotic scene after a graduation, police arrested five people and seized several weapons following search warrant raids.
St. Paul PD raid homes
What we know:
St. Paul police held a news conference Thursday afternoon, three weeks after the shooting in downtown St. paul.
At the press conference, authorities announced the arrest of five people following search warrants executed at homes in Prior Lake, Lakeville, Minnetonka, and Brooklyn Park.
Police also seized two rifles and two handguns during the Thursday morning raids. Officials say one of the weapons was equipped with a "switch" – a device that converts semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly.
Since the May 4 shooting, police say they've recovered seven firearms.
Suspect charged
Local perspective:
Shortly after the news conference, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office announced charges against three suspects connected to the shooting:
- Zakriya Haashi Said is charged with second-degree assault and second-degree riot.
- Omar Abdulwahab Mohamed is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and second-degree riot.
- Khalid Ali Mohamud is charged with second-degree assault.
Another suspect facing charges was not identified due to their age.
Dig deeper:
Officers also said that while the shooting happened following a commencement ceremony, they don't believe the shooting was directly connected to the ceremony. Rather the violence was just a result of the large gathering that followed the ceremony.
READ MORE: 2 hurt during St. Paul shooting near RiverCentre, police investigation underway
Downtown St. Paul shooting injures two people on May 4
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Downtown St. Paul shooting leaves 2 injured
Two people were reportedly hurt after shots were fired outside Grand Casino Arena, the RiverCentre parking ramp, and outside the Ordway in St. Paul on Monday. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni has the latest from downtown St. Paul.
The backstory:
According to St. Paul police, around 5:30 p.m. on May 4, officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired at the RiverCentre parking ramp.
Officers arriving on scene reported hearing active gunfire in multiple areas. Authorities say that officers were then able to secure three different scenes — outside Grand Casino Arena, the RiverCentre parking ramp, and outside the Ordway.
Two victims, both young adult males, were located suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
What they're saying:
In a statement on the shooting, Mayor Kaohly Her said:
"I am proud and grateful for the investigation our Saint Paul Police officers conducted alongside our law enforcement partners to identify the suspects responsible for the May 4 shooting in downtown Saint Paul.
"This investigation is a testament to the work of our Non-Fatal Shooting Unit and to why we need a fully funded statewide approach. The individuals arrested today for violence in our city do not reside here, yet our city is still responsible for conducting the investigation and bringing them to justice.
"Next legislative session, I hope to see our state invest in expanding this program beyond Ramsey County and Saint Paul to help interrupt violence before it happens and reaches our communities."
The Source: This story uses information shared by the St. Paul Police Department and previous FOX 9 reporting.