Witnesses throw a curve at Lakeville trial

Some surprising testimony Tuesday in the trial of a young Somali man offered an alternate motive for a shooting last spring at a Lakeville party that injured four people.

According to testimony in the trial of Jibril Mohamed in Dakota County District Court, five young men were kicked out of the party because they were Somali.

Charges say one suspect went back and fired seven shots into the party, which was attended by about 30 people. That led to various charges against five Somalis, including Mohamed, 18. He is charged with aiding an offender by allegedly helping the gunman get away.

Authorities and complaints allege that the violence erupted when the Somali men became upset because there weren't enough women at the party, and they wanted their $2 admission back.

But Tuesday, Dominique Malone, 19, of Apple Valley, testified that he ejected Mohamed and his friends because they were Somali.

He knew Mohamed but not the others with him, Malone said. "When I seen them, I told them to leave because I didn't want no Somalians in the party," he said.

Other witnesses threw a curveball at the prosecution when their testimony raised questions about who pulled the trigger: a juvenile acquaintance of Mohamed's, or a young man he had just met and was giving a ride, and who currently is charged as the shooter.

That is a crucial point for Mohamed, of Burnsville. He is accused of aiding the triggerman, Ahmed Ali, by driving him away after the shooting.

Ali, charged with four counts of second-degree assault in the case, was wearing a dark winter jacket when photographed at a Cub Foods store just after the shooting.

But two witnesses described the gunman as wearing a gray or light-colored hoodie sweat shirt, with the hood up, when he opened fire on the mobile home March 29. That was moments after the Somalis were pushed out and the door slammed shut.

Those witnesses, when shown evidence photos Tuesday, pointed to clothes that a 16-year-old suspect -- not Ali -- was wearing as similar to the clothes of the shooter.

The juvenile, Mohamed Yusef Hussein, originally was charged as the triggerman. But those second-degree assault charges were dropped, and he was charged instead with aiding an offender. He pleaded guilty in May.

Authorities then upgraded charges against Ali, who is 19 or 20.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Dean, of Minneapolis, said Mohamed was trying to drive away after his group was kicked out. According to Dean: Mohamed, who had returned to his sister's car, heard shots and feared they were directed at his group. As Mohamed pulled away, the shooter jumped into the car, and Mohamed was unaware that the acquaintance had just shot people.

The four victims have recovered from various wounds to the forearm, buttocks, foot and thigh.

The trial against Mohamed will continue today.

Joy Powell • 952-882-9017