Source: Office of United States Attorneys
St. Paul, Minn. – Hamza Abdirashiid Said, 20, and Amiir Mawlid Ali, 18, have been charged federally with unlawfully possessing machineguns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
According to court documents, on May 30, 2025, at approximately 8:00 p.m., University of Minnesota Police (UMPD) responded to a report of a shooting at the Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota Campus. The arena was hosting the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at the time of the shooting, with numerous pedestrians and attendees outside. Officers found a chaotic scene in which two victims—both attendees of the graduation ceremony—suffered gunshot wounds. After interviewing witness and viewing surveillance footage, law enforcement located and apprehended the shooter, Hamza Said. Law enforcement also recovered a Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol equipped with a high-capacity extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, commonly called a “switch.” Switches turn semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic machineguns. Said has been federally charged by complaint with unlawful possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2025, at approximately 3:44 p.m., MPD officers observed a vehicle fail to stop at an intersection. The vehicle then accelerated aggressively through the intersection, and officers noted the windows were tinted to such a degree that they could not observe the interior of the vehicle. The officers initiated a traffic stop and identified three occupants of the vehicle. An MPD officer recognized the front passenger as Amiir Ali. The officer knew from prior investigations that Ali was associated with multiple recent gang-related shootings and was known to carry firearms. The occupants stated they were heading to the Edina High School graduation ceremony at the University of Minnesota. Officers were aware of a shooting that occurred at the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at the same location just four days earlier. Officers located a Glock 10mm semiautomatic firearm under Ali’s seat. The Glock was equipped with a loaded 33-round extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, also known as a switch. Ali was arrested when he was located by police responding to the June 6, 2025 shooting at the Burnsville High School graduation ceremony. In recorded jail calls, Ali said that, upon his release, he would need a “button,” a slang term for a switch or machinegun conversion device. Ali has been federally charged by complaint with unlawful possession of a machinegun.
“High school graduation ceremonies are a rite of passage. A time for friends and family to come together to celebrate one of life’s major milestones. To bring machineguns and violence to such a ceremony is immoral and shameful,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “On behalf of all Minnesotans, I want to express a sense of moral outrage at these crimes and assure the public that the perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Said and Ali made their initial appearance in U.S. District Court yesterday, before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. Both men are detained, pending detention hearings.
These cases are a result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the University of Minnesota Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.