Minneapolis focuses on Somali killings
City leaders and outreach workers are fighting back against growing violence in Somali communities, which have seen 7 slayings since December.
Homicide map:Â A comprehensive map of Minnesota homicides and links to crime stats, booking records and sex offender registrations.
He doesn’t wear a uniform and carry a gun, but Imam Hassan Mohamud considers himself a peace officer.
Like other Somali activists, the spiritual leader is struggling with the dramatic violent crime increase in his community. Since December, seven Somali men under 30 have been slain in the Twin Cities. The motive in three of the cases may have been retaliation.
Deqa Muhidin had been able to distance herself from the crimes until her cousin, a 20-year-old student at Augsburg College, was shot in the head in September because he allegedly told the killer he couldn’t play basketball at his community center. She can guess at what is causing the violence: drugs, gangs, cultural and communication barriers between parents and their children, mistrust of the police.
The Somali crime problem has become a high priority for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who said he spent much of Tuesday meeting with top city leaders and community outreach workers to discuss how to apply the city’s youth violence prevention plan to the Somali community. But he doesn’t want the rash of homicides to overshadow the incredible accomplishments Somalis have achieved in Minneapolis.
“Community leaders and police are saying we’ve reached a point where we need to do things right now,” said Police Chief Tim Dolan, who was at the meeting.
Muhidin’s small piece to the solution was to gather five of her Somali friends at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and put together a youth anti-violence conference being held today in St. Paul. Besides Mohamud, the speaker list includes well-known former rapper Napoleon, who quit the business several years ago and converted to Islam.
“I wouldn’t want this for my kids or anybody’s kids,” said Napoleon, who now goes by his birth name Mutah Beale. “The Somalis came to this country to get away from the violence and make a better life, but some are going down the wrong path. It doesn’t make sense.”
You cant possibly think these people are going to do any better here. They will not assimilate and hates everything the US stands for. Why are they here anyway?
Living here in the Minneapolis St.Paul metro, I can tell you that it is probably a combination of gang related activity and just plain bad luck. The two happening farther south in Mpls were not in good neighborhoods. Hanging out just off Lake st. is not a good idea if you are involved in gangs. “Trying to fit in” while at the same time sticking out like these Somali kids do is like painting a target on you. Unless they grew up here I would bet anything their manner of speech & actions in these situations made them the easy target.