Man charged with assault for shooting teen boy in south Minneapolis
UPDATE: On Aug. 7, 2024, Ali Abdirashid Jama pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
UPDATE: On May 2, 2024, Ali Abdirashid Jama pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault. His jury trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 5. Original story is below.
MINNEAPOLIS — A 35-year-old man has been charged in connection to a shooting that injured a teen boy in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood last week.
Ali Abdirashid Jama was charged with one count of second-degree assault for the shooting that occurred on the 1800 block of Fifth Street South early on Jan. 28. A 16-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to his back and to his stomach in the incident.
A witness told police he was getting a ride home from Jama when they allegedly saw the boy throw a rock through Jama's car window and walk away. Court documents say the two men then got into Jama's car and followed the teenager. Once they caught up with him, Jama allegedly exited the vehicle and fought with the boy before shooting him. The witness said he did not see the victim with a gun.
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Jama confirmed to police that he had seen the boy smashing his car window with a rock. He says he confronted the boy when a fight started. Jama admitted that he shot the boy and confirmed that the victim did not say anything that would indicate he had a weapon.
Additional charges may be added once the extent of the boy's injuries is known, according to charging documents.
Jama is in custody.