North Mankato shooting: Man charged with murder in attempted drug robbery gone wrong
NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is now charged with murder in the deadly North Mankato shooting that police say stemmed from an attempted drug robbery plot that left a teen dead.
Man charged with murder in teen's death
What we know:
Abdikhadar Fakhi Mohidin, 20, is charged with second-degree murder, attempted aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit felony aggravated robbery, possession of a firearm, and three counts of assault.
He is the third suspect to be charged in connection to the deadly shooting on the night of May 24. Earlier this week, authorities brought attempted robbery charges against Ahmed Mohamud, 23, and Ryan Wolner, 18.
The backstory:
Mohidin is accused of being the triggerman in the deadly shooting. The charges describe Mohidin walking up to the victim, 17-year-old Tyson Michael Goodsell, at the meet-up spot in the area of Pleasant View Drive and Willow Lane and opening fire.
Mohidin is currently being held in the Nicollet County Jail on $1,500,000 bail.
Suspects lured victim with drug deal
Timeline:
According to the complaints against all three suspects, the victim was lured to his death under the pretext of a drug deal.
Police say a witness told them that Wolner came to them saying he was looking for "plugs" to rob, the complaint alleges. The complaint states Wolner talked the witness into texting Goodsell and arranging a drug sale of $2,000 worth of cannabis products.
Wolner then went to another home and picked up a rifle, telling another witness that he needed the rifle to rob Goodsell. A third witness told officers he was with Wolner and Mohamud as Wolner handed the rifle over to Mohamud.
"Wow, that's a lot"
Dig deeper:
The new complaint details that Wolner, Mohamud, and another man picked up Mohidin at a Mankato business on the night of the shooting.
Eventually, Wolner separated from the group and the rest went to the meet-up spot for the drug buy with Goodsell. According to the criminal complaint, Mohidin admitted to shooting Goodsell in interviews with police.
In the charges, Mohidin describes approaching Goodsell's vehicle, attempting to break the window but failing. Goodsell attempts to drive away and twice runs over Mohidin's foot. Police say Mohidin told them that's when he fired the rifle. Mohidin recalled squeezing off four to five shots, but police told him it was actually six.
According to the charges, Mohidin told police: "Wow, that's a lot."
Big picture view:
According to the complaint, Mohidin later called Wolner and told him he killed Goodsell. The witness that set up the drug deal told police that Wolner contact him, out of breath and excited, saying there had been a shooting and that Goodsell had been killed.
The witness said Wolner told him he had to smash the witness's phone. The charges state that Mohidin admitted that he, Wolner, and Mohamud, and another witness had numerous conversations about the shooting and hiding evidence connected to the case.
Big picture view:
Police say they were able to track several of the suspects because they were on GPS monitoring for past offenses – that includes both Mohidin and Wolner.
What's next:
Earlier this week, police said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and they were looking into other persons of interest in the shooting. They said more charges and arrests were possible. That statement came before Mohidin was charged.
Thursday, as they announced the arrest and charges against Mohidin, police said more arrests were possible in the case.
What they're saying:
"Every step of this investigation has been driven by a commitment to uncover the truth, seek justice for the victim, and provide the victim's family with answers and accountability," said Chief Ross Gullickson of the North Mankato Police Department. "The charges announced today reflect the dedication and perseverance of North Mankato Police investigators, BCA agents, Drug Task Force agents, patrol officers, prosecutors, and support staff who continue to work tirelessly to gather evidence, pursue leads, and thoroughly examine every aspect of this case. Their commitment and collaboration were instrumental in bringing this investigation to where it is today."