A 20-year-old Somali-American man was arrested over a shooting at a high school graduation ceremony in Minneapolis.
*Gunman in Somali gown ‘opened fire with a converted machine-pistol’ outside Minnesota high-school graduation – father suffers head wound and teen is shot in the leg as terrified families flee*
Parents clutching bouquets and proud graduates still in their caps and gowns were sent running for their lives on Friday night after a gunman sprayed bullets outside Wayzata High School’s commencement ceremony on the University of Minnesota campus.
Prosecutors say Hamza Abdirashid Said, 20, of Coon Rapids, donned traditional Somali attire as camouflage before allegedly whipping a handgun – illegally modified to fire on full-auto – from his waistband and unleashing at least two shots into the crowd at around 8 p.m.
One round tore into the skull of a 49-year-old father who had been posing for photos with his family on the plaza. According to dramatic court papers, officers arrived to find the man slumped on the pavement with “blood spurting” from a head wound; he later underwent emergency treatment for a fractured skull and brain bleed at Hennepin County Medical Center. Miraculously, he has already been discharged, though doctors say numbness on his right side may linger.
A second victim, 19, was struck in the leg but refused to cooperate with investigators. He too is now recovering.
Security footage reveals a fist-fight or heated row erupted moments before the gunfire. Cameras captured Said sprinting away from the east entrance of Mariucci Arena, yanking up his flowing gown, and leveling the weapon at the fleeing teen. Panic spread instantly: families ducked behind pillars and sprinted across the concourse as shots rang out.
Said was seen vaulting a hedge, ditching his ceremonial clothing on the sidewalk and stashing the pistol – complete with an illegal Glock switch and extended mag – in a bush near Williams Arena. Both items were recovered by police within minutes.
Despite the mayhem, Wayzata Schools superintendent Dr Chace Anderson insisted the shooting had “no confirmed link” to the class of 2025 or their families. “Metal detectors, school resource officers and University of Minnesota police were already in place,” he told shocked parents, vowing an immediate review of security protocols.
Said now faces a string of felonies, including first-degree assault, second-degree assault and possessing or operating a machine gun. Investigators have yet to disclose any motive.