Wayzata graduation shooting suspect faces stiffer sentence after prosecutor filing

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Attorney's Office will seek an enhanced sentence against the man suspected of shooting two people following the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Hamza Abdirashid Said, 20, of Coon Rapids, is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and possessing/operating a machine gun in connection to the May 30 shooting.

READ MORE: Wayzata HS graduation shooting: Man charged in Mariucci Arena violence that injured 2 people

Wayzata graduation shooting charges 

What they're saying:

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office filed a "notice of intent to seek an upward sentencing departure" in the shooting that injured two people outside the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

This means prosecutors will seek a legal penalty that goes beyond the state's typical sentencing guidelines. 

The filing states that the victims in the shooting "were particularly vulnerable based on the location of the incident on a university campus," adding that "the Victims were particularly vulnerable based on the large scale of attendees at the public event, besides the intended Victim there were numerous people present besides the intended victims and Defendant created greater-than-normal danger to the safety of these other people."

The document states that the "sentencing departure issues should be decided by the trial jury." The maximum sentence for first-degree assault in Minnesota is 20 years. 

The backstory:

University of Minnesota police responded to Mariucci Arena around 8 p.m. on Friday, May 30, in response to a shooting at the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony. Witnesses described hearing two gunshots, the criminal complaint states. 

When police arrived, they found one victim, a 49-year-old man, who had an "obvious gunshot wound to the head that was spurting blood," court documents said. 

The victim told police he was standing outside with his family after the graduation ceremony. He saw a group of men fighting or having an argument behind him before he heard a gunshot and began to run with his family away from the argument. After about 20 yards, the victim felt a burning sensation on his head and touched it before he collapsed. He was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center. He suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed, with the criminal complaint noting the wound caused numbness on his right side. 

A second victim, a 19-year-old man, suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg. He was not cooperative with officers and was taken to the hospital for treatment, court documents said. 

Surveillance video captured the shooting

What the video shows:

Surveillance video captured the shooting from above. It showed several men, including Said, running southbound from the area of the east Mariucci Arena entrance, charging documents state. Said — wearing a black gown consistent with a traditional Somali garment and not a graduation gown — pulled up the front of his clothing to about stomach height and reached for his waistband area. He then extended his right hand toward the second victim, who quickly changed direction and ran northbound, charging documents allege.

The video showed a handgun in his hand, and appeared to fire multiple rounds, the charges said. 

Immediately after, people in the area ducked and ran. The suspect then jumped over the bushes and continued southbound away from Mariucci Arena. He then placed an item in the bushes on the southeast corner of Williams Arena and then put his gown on the sidewalk on the south side of Williams Arena, court documents said. He's then seen wearing a white T-shirt, gray pants, black sandals with white socks. The suspect also removed a black facemask and black shirt just after the incident. 

Police located the suspect's gown and handgun, which had an automatic conversion kit and extended magazine attached to it. They also found the black facemask he was wearing, charges said. 

A witness told police they were on the walkway southwest of the Oak Street entrance when they heard commotion and a single gunshot. They saw a man matching Said's description run toward Williams Arena. 

Officers located Said walking on westbound Pleasant Street Southeast, and he was arrested. 

Motive for shooting unclear

What we don't know:

Authorities haven't determined if he was inside the graduation ceremony prior to the shooting. It's also unclear if the 19-year-old victim attended the graduation ceremony. 

The court documents didn't list a motive for the shooting. 

Victims released from hospital

Dig deeper:

In an update on Sunday, University of Minnesota police said the victims had both been released from the hospital.

In a message to parents, Wayzata officials said one of the victims was the parent of a graduate. Superintendent Chace Anderson dispelled rumors he said were circulating online, explaining investigators "have not been able to confirm any connection between the shooter or the second victim and our graduation ceremony."

"Please know that several safety measures were in place before and during the ceremony, including operational metal detectors at all entrances, as well as the presence of school resource officers and University of Minnesota police and security personnel," Anderson continued. "Moving forward, we are committed to continually reviewing and strengthening our security protocols and exploring ways to prevent such incidents in the future, ultimately enhancing the graduation ceremony experience for all students and families."

Crime and Public SafetyMinneapolisHennepin CountyUniversity of Minnesota