Court documents reveal more threads in metro gang violence epidemic

Court documents reveal more threads in metro gang violence epidemic Kyle Brown KSTP New court filings reveal more details on suspects involved in gang feuds that have fueled several incidents of gun violence in the Twin Cities.Documents trace the suspects’ connections to criminal activity as far back as January of this year, encompassing a deadly shooting in Burnsville, separate incidents at Eden Prairie High School’s graduation and homecoming games, and a hail of gunfire that rattled a Bloomington neighborhood.Direct tie between Bloomington, Eden Prairie shootingsThree men charged with third-degree riot in connection with the shooting at Eden Prairie High School’s homecoming game on Oct. 2 were on the receiving end of more than 100 rounds of gunfire four days later in Bloomington, according to an extreme risk protection order filed Monday by the Bloomington Police Department. The petition, which was ultimately granted, asked a judge to prohibit 18-year-old Abdirahman Ahmed Jama from possessing guns due to his association with gang activities and his penchant for unsafely handling firearms. RELATED: Suspect in Eden Prairie homecoming game shooting makes first court appearance; 4 others charged with riotThe targets in that Bloomington shooting — Jama, 20-year-old Mahamed Ali Haji, and 19-year-old Omar Adan Abdullahi — told investigators they were playing basketball in Minneapolis prior to the shooting and had driven to Bloomington to drop Jama off at home when multiple people started firing at them. At least two gunmen were captured on home security footage shooting in the car’s direction.Abdirahman Ahmed Jama (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)Omar Adan Abdullahi (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)Mahamed Ali Haji (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)The trio “remained vague” when speaking to police and were “clearly trying to obscure the underlying issues” leading up to the shooting. According to the petition, investigators learned the Bloomington shooting was connected to a prior shooting “in a nearby jurisdiction” that targeted two gang members from St. Paul. RELATED: After another blitz of gunfire, chiefs call for action on Somali-American gangsAmong the evidence pulled from Jama’s phone were several videos of him with firearms, including videos in which he is seen flaunting guns while inside cars and out in public. Jama, Haji and Abdullahi all appeared in court for their respective bail hearings on Wednesday. As of Wednesday, no charges had been filed in the Bloomington incident, and no suspects have been arrested. A connection to a Burnsville murder caseDetectives who were investigating the Eden Prairie High School shooting reviewed surveillance video that showed suspects getting into a Subaru Legacy registered to Abdullahi, according to a search warrant unsealed on Wednesday.The search warrant affidavit mentions that Abdullahi is “associated with” a gun linked to a deadly gang shooting on Jan. 25 in Burnsville.The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the homicide victim as Mohamed Hassan Salad, 19, of Minneapolis.Burnsville police have not announced any arrests or charges in the case.Additional gun chargeCourt records also show Jama is charged with carrying a pistol without a permit in connection with a run-in with law enforcement over the summer. According to a criminal complaint, on June 7, police officers working security detail for Eden Prairie High School’s graduation ceremony at Grace Church stopped a car with dark tint that was zooming through the parking lot. The officer approaching the car heard “loud thumps” coming from inside the vehicle, “some of which sounded metallic” — a potential indicator the people inside were hiding guns or other contraband.Police ordered the occupants to get out, but Jama, who was seated in the back, allegedly refused to leave the car. When he finally did get up, an officer saw him take a gun magazine out of his hoodie pocket and throw it in the backseat. In the pocket behind the driver’s seat was a Glock 27 pistol that matched with the magazine.No one in the car had a permit to carry, but police believed the gun belonged to Jama because he had discarded the magazine and was sitting where the gun was recovered.Charging documents do not state why Jama and others were present near Eden Prairie High School’s graduation venue.