In the early morning hours of July 24, 2024, a fatal encounter unfolded in a parking lot in Moorhead, Minnesota, leaving 37-year-old Franky Torres, a male construction worker, with a critical head injury from which he would not recover. Responding to a report of a shooting at approximately 3:20 a.m. in the 900 block of 18th Street South, Moorhead Police officers discovered Torres, who was immediately transported to Sanford Medical Center.
He succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect, 35-year-old Jamal Ahmed of Moorhead. It was determined that both Torres and Ahmed were with mutual acquaintances at the time of the incident. The conflict reportedly began after a female friend of Torres claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a man she knew as "Noo-Noo," who was later identified as Ahmed. In response, Torres went to confront the man he believed had assaulted his friend. An argument escalated into a physical altercation, with Torres reportedly punching and beating Ahmed. During this fight, a man with dreadlocks, also identified as Ahmed, approached from behind and shot Torres in the head with a pistol.
With the assistance of the Red River SWAT Team, Jamal Ahmed was located and arrested without incident on July 25, 2024. After his arrest, Ahmed attempted to alter his appearance by cutting his hair and dreadlocks. Despite this, he was positively identified by a witness in a six-person lineup. The murder weapon, described as a pistol, has not been recovered. Ahmed was held at the Clay County Correctional Facility and charged with felony second-degree murder.
On May 7, 2025, Jamal Ahmed, then 36, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. During the sentencing, Torres's family expressed their profound grief and dissatisfaction with the plea agreement, feeling it did not provide adequate justice for their loved one. Ahmed, in turn, acknowledged the pain he had caused and expressed remorse for his actions. The judge remarked that the 15-year sentence was at the higher end of the sentencing guidelines for an individual with Ahmed's criminal history.
