Fridley basketball player attack: 2 more charged during assault
5 arrested after fight during MN basketball game
An assault with a tire iron during a high school boys’ basketball game between Robbinsdale Cooper and Fridley on Tuesday evening led to the arrest of those believed to be involved.
NEW HOPE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Two more have been charged for their role in the attack against a 17-year-old Fridley High School basketball player during a game against Robbinsdale Cooper High School.
5 charged in Robbinsdale Cooper basketball game attack
What's new:
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced on Friday that five people have now been charged in the attack against the Fridley basketball player.
Two additional people have been charged, a 16-year-old boy, and 18-year-old Mubashir Nasir Ali. Both face charges of one count each of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and second-degree riot, armed with a dangerous weapon.
The 16-year-old charged, and Ali, were taken into custody on Friday.
According to the charges filed against the 16-year-old, video shows the teen trying to stab the victim with a knife after he was struck with the tire iron but was not able to make contact. He was later seen on video fleeing the school with the knife, which was recovered from the suspects' vehicle.
FOX 9 does not name juveniles who are charged.
What they're saying:
"This was a shocking display of violence at a high school basketball game, causing injury to the victim and terrifying those in attendance," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "We’re grateful the victim is recovering from his injuries, and we will hold the individuals who committed this violence accountable."
How the fight happened
The backstory:
Yahya Abdul Khanyare,18, Dursa Muktar Mohamed, both 18, and Ayub Mohamed Ali, 19, were all charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon for their role in the assault. Mohamed was also charged with fleeing a peace officer in a vehicle.
According to the charges, police responded to Robbinsdale Cooper High School on reports of an assault during a boy's basketball game against Fridley. At the scene, a 17-year-old boy on the Fridley team had been hit on the top of his head with a metal tire-iron, had been punched, and was almost stabbed with a knife.
The victim was taken to the hospital where it took six staples to close the wound on his head, court documents say.
Court documents say that video from the school shows a group of five suspects arriving at the school in a red sedan. They're seen taking weapons from the car into the school, including a knife and a tire iron.
The group made it into the gym, avoiding the ticketed entry, and Khanyare then allegedly ran towards the victim, raised his hand in the air and hit the victim in the head with the tire-iron, the charges say. Police say the video shows the victim was blindsided by the attack.
READ MORE: Fridley basketball player attacked charges: Victim hit with tire iron, almost stabbed
Suspect prior arrest
Dig deeper:
Of those arrested in connection to the attack, Yahya Khanyar, 18, was arrested in Brooklyn Park for having a gun without a permit. It was a misdemeanor, so he was later released.
Brooklyn Park police tells FOX 9 they’re not surprised he is a repeat offender.
"What we see in a lot of our offenders, especially that are involved in violent crimes, carrying guns, you see a high recidivism rate," said Elliot Faust, Brooklyn Park Public Information Officer. "When somebody assaults with a tire iron, that's that's a very, very serious assault that somebody could easily die from something like that.
Six days before the Jan. 28 attack, Khanyare was arrested by Brooklyn Park Police after running away during a traffic stop.
"He fled on foot from the vehicle and dropped the handgun while he was running. And so our officers, thankfully, were able to apprehend him," said Faust.
Court records show he was carrying a pistol without a permit which is considered a gross misdemeanor.
"That's not typically a case you're going to see somebody held in custody for. He did post bail on that to my understanding," said Faust.
That’s how Khanyare got back out on the streets.
The Source: A press release from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, charges filed in Hennepin County and past FOX 9 reporting.