‘I’m going to kill your friend’: Man searching for his sister in the park took a break to shoot someone in the face

On a warm spring night in Apple Valley, Minnesota, an ordinary evening turned into a scene of unprovoked horror. What began as a mother’s routine concern over her daughter’s whereabouts ended in an explosive act of street violence, culminating in a chilling text message and a near-fatal gunshot to an 18-year-old man’s face.

The incident, which took place at Kelley Park, starkly highlights how quickly minor confrontations can escalate when illegal firearms are introduced into public spaces. This is the fully detailed account of the events leading up to the shooting, the harrowing moments of the attack, and the subsequent legal resolution.

A Mother’s Concern and a Digital Trail

The chain of events began late in the evening of May 9, 2025, and carried into the early morning hours of May 10. A concerned mother in Minneapolis was growing increasingly anxious because she could not reach her teenage daughter. Turning to her 20-year-old son, Ibrahim Ali Mohamed, she expressed her worries.

Mohamed pulled up his phone and checked his sister’s real-time location using a tracking application. The digital trail led directly to Kelley Park, a popular community gathering spot located in Apple Valley, a suburb just south of the Twin Cities.

Instead of placing a phone call or contacting local authorities to check on his sister’s welfare, Mohamed gathered a group of his friends, packed into a vehicle, and drove to the park. He did not go empty-handed. Tucked beneath his clothing was a “peanut butter-colored” P80—a privately made firearm often referred to as a “ghost gun,” which lacks commercial serial numbers and is notoriously difficult for law enforcement to track.

Escalation in Kelley Park

Upon arriving at Kelley Park shortly after midnight, Mohamed—wearing a black ski mask despite the mild spring weather—began searching the area. He eventually located his sister, who was hanging out with a group of friends.

Rather than simply asking his sister to return home, Mohamed’s presence quickly bred hostility. An argument erupted between Mohamed and the group of young people gathered at the park. The tension escalated rapidly when Mohamed reached under his hoodie and drew his handgun.

Seeing the firearm, his sister attempted to intervene, while one of her friends bravely lunged forward, grabbing at the weapon in a desperate bid to disarm him. Mohamed broke free from the struggle. Instead of backing down, he used the heavy handgun as a blunt instrument, striking multiple people in the group and pointing the muzzle at terrified onlookers.

As the situation deteriorated, several people fled the immediate area to escape the unfolding assault. Among those who temporarily drove away from the chaos was an 18-year-old acquaintance of the group.

“I’m Going to Kill Your Friend”

With several members of the group scattered, Mohamed remained at the park, furious and seeking to reassert control over the situation. He used a phone to deliver an ultimatum.

The 18-year-old man who had driven away received a sudden, terrifying text message on his phone.

Fearing for the lives of the peers he had left behind, the young driver made the fateful decision to turn his vehicle around and return to Kelley Park. He hoped to defuse the situation or rescue his friends from the armed man in the ski mask.

The Ambush and the Shot

As the victim’s vehicle sped back into the Kelley Park parking lot, bystanders immediately realized the danger. A witness ran toward the passenger side of the approaching car, screaming frantically, “Get out, they’re going to shoot!”

The warning came too late. Looking through his windshield, the driver spotted Mohamed standing roughly 100 feet away. Without hesitation, Mohamed raised his P80 handgun and opened fire on the vehicle, unleashing a barrage of approximately ten rounds in rapid succession.

One of the bullets shattered the glass and struck the 18-year-old driver squarely in the face.

The impact caused catastrophic injuries. Despite the shock and trauma of a gunshot wound to the head, emergency services were successfully notified as Mohamed and his associates fled the scene into the night.

First responders rushed the victim to a local hospital in critical, life-threatening condition. He survived the night but required immediate, extensive emergency surgery. The medical examination detailed severe trauma to his face and neck, lacerations across his tongue and chest, and extensive fractures to both his teeth and his jaw.

The Investigation and Social Media Trail

The Apple Valley Police Department immediately launched a comprehensive investigation. Callers to 911 had already reported seeing a man in a black ski mask with a gun tucked into his waistband just before the shots rang out.

Investigators began reviewing phone records and digital footprints. A search of Mohamed’s phone, alongside the public social media posts of his inner circle, revealed a pattern of behavior. Detectives discovered multiple videos proudly showcased by Mohamed and his friends featuring various firearms, including the exact tan-colored P80 pistol used in the park shooting.

Nearly two months after the shooting, on June 30, 2025, Apple Valley police officers executed a complaint warrant and took Mohamed into custody.

During police interrogation, Mohamed made several key admissions but attempted to paint the incident as self-defense. He confirmed to detectives that he was indeed wearing a ski mask at the park and admitted that he had fired roughly ten rounds at a vehicle entering the lot. He claimed he did not know who was inside the car and alleged that the occupants of the vehicle had fired at him first.

However, forensic analysts and detectives thoroughly debunked his claim of self-defense. A detailed sweep of the crime scene, ballistics testing, and witness testimonies yielded absolutely no evidence that any shots had been fired from or near the victim’s vehicle. Mohamed had been the sole aggressor.

Legal Consequences and the Plea Deal

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office initially leveled severe charges against Mohamed. He was booked into the Dakota County Jail on one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault causing great bodily harm. Given the severe threat to public safety, prosecutors initially requested a high bail of $750,000, which a judge later adjusted to $400,000 without conditions.

The legal process extended into the following year. Facing the prospect of a lengthy trial and a potential decades-long prison sentence for attempted murder, Mohamed chose to negotiate.

On July 6, 2026, Ibrahim Ali Mohamed, now 21 years old, appeared in Dakota County District Court and entered a guilty plea to the charge of first-degree assault. Under the terms of the plea agreement struck between the defense and the prosecution, the severe charge of second-degree attempted murder was officially dropped.

Following the entry of his guilty plea, the court scheduled Mohamed’s formal sentencing hearing for October 7, 2026. First-degree assault in the state of Minnesota carries a heavy prison sentence, ensuring that the young man who took a violent detour while searching for his sister will face significant time behind bars for an explosive moment of rage.