Jamal Mitchell, a 36-year-old Black / African American male, tragically lost his life on May 30, 2024, while serving as a Minneapolis police officer. On that evening, he was the first to respond to a report of a double shooting at an apartment building in the Whittier neighborhood. As he neared the scene, he observed two men in the street who appeared to be injured.
One of these men was 35-year-old Mustafa Ahmed Mohamed.
Acting on his duty to render aid, Officer Mitchell stopped his vehicle and approached Mohamed to see if he was hurt and needed help. As Mitchell got closer, Mohamed, who was sitting next to a parked car, pulled out a handgun without any warning and shot the officer at close range. The initial shot incapacitated Mitchell, causing him to fall to the ground.
Two other officers, Nick Kapinos and Luke Kittock, arrived at the chaotic scene to find Mohamed continuing to shoot Officer Mitchell. Mohamed then began firing at the newly arrived officers, who returned fire. In the exchange of gunfire, Mohamed was struck multiple times and died at the scene. Officer Mitchell was rushed to Hennepin Healthcare, but he ultimately succumbed to his wounds.
The investigation that followed revealed that Mohamed was the perpetrator of the initial shooting inside the apartment building, where another man, Osman Said Jimale, was found deceased. Mohamed had a significant criminal history, including a prior burglary conviction that made it illegal for him to possess a firearm. At the time of the shooting, there was an active warrant for his arrest related to a 2022 firearms incident. Because the suspect who fatally shot Officer Mitchell was killed at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with the officer's death.
