LAKEVILLE, Minnesota — A Faribault man is accused of fatally shoot his colleague at an Amazon distribution center in Lakeville, early Saturday morning.
The 24-year-old suspect is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim Cariif, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Dakota County.
According to Lakeville police, officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of 9800 217th Street West just after 4 a.m. Upon arrival, they found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Although officers provided medical attention, he died at the scene.
According to the complaint, Cariif, the suspect and a third man had carpooled to work together from Faribault. The suspect, who had a permit to carry, had brought his gun with him and left it in the car while he was at work.
During a break around 1 a.m., the suspect noticed the flashlight attachment for his gun was missing, the complaint states, and accused the other two men of stealing it.
The men returned to the car at 4 a.m. to look for the attachment, the complaint said. The suspect continued to accuse the men of theft when he got into a physical confrontation with Cariif.
During the scuffle, the suspect allegedly pulled out his gun and Cariif tried to wrest it from his hands. The suspect fired his gun, hitting a nearby vehicle. The two other men yelled at him not to shoot, but he fired his gun again, hitting Cariif.
The complaint alleges that the suspect told police that Cariif had provoked the fight and that he shot him in self-defense. However, police say surveillance footage of the altercation shows the suspect throwing the first punch. The complaint alleges that the suspect could have retreated multiple times.
The suspect had called 911 to report the shooting and police arrested him without incident. His bail was set at $1 million with conditions.
His next court appearance is scheduled for July 15.
