Mpls mass shooting: Man accused of killing officer was convict, long evaded court system

The gunman who authorities say shot and killed Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell had been on the run for more than a year, according to court records.

Mustafa Mohamed, 35, was a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history, with two active warrants at the time of his death. 

He was prohibited from having a gun, yet court records reveal he repeatedly got in trouble with the law for having a firearm. 

READ MORE: Minneapolis mass shooting: BCA identifies officers who stopped gunman

Court records show Mohamed was convicted of a 2006 burglary where he and two other men broke into a woman’s home while she was cleaning her apartment. The woman was also assaulted. 

Mohamed also tried to ditch a Glock 19 when police were investigating an apparent robbery in Minneapolis in 2022. 

READ MORE: Minneapolis mass shooting: What we know so far

After Mohamed failed to show up for his court hearings, records show that his "family seemed to be covering" for him. 

Mohamed’s criminal history dates back to when he was 17-years-old and convicted of auto theft. 

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said Mohamed shot Mitchell Thursday night as police responded to reports of an active shooter at an apartment complex on Blaisdell Avenue South.

"What I can tell you is that Officer Mitchell was attempting to assist the individual that shot him – and that it happened very fast and that he ambushed him," said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. 

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