Abdifatah Abdillahi, a 23-year-old resident of Roseville, Minnesota, tragically lost his life in the early hours of January 1, 2024, marking St. Paul's first homicide of the year. The incident occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. at a New Year's gathering in a home located on the 1600 block of Van Buren Avenue in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of St. Paul.
The St. Paul Police Department received initial calls requesting assistance to remove people from the gathering.
As officers were responding, additional calls came in reporting shots fired. One caller informed the police that they were transporting an injured person to the hospital. Upon arrival at the scene, officers found evidence of a shooting but no victims. They were later notified that a vehicle had arrived at United Hospital with a man suffering from gunshot wounds. Tragically, Abdillahi succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
As of January 18, 2024, no arrests had been made in connection with Abdillahi's death. However, the investigation has taken an interesting turn. The gun used in his killing has been linked to another homicide that occurred on January 15, 2024, at the Quarry Shopping Center in northeast Minneapolis. In the Minneapolis case, 20-year-old Barqadle Abdullahi Barqadle has been charged with second-degree murder. The person associated with the gun in the St. Paul case reportedly told police that they had given the weapon to Barqadle.
The St. Paul Police Department is actively seeking the public's assistance in solving this case. They have urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact them at 651-266-5650. The authorities are determined to find those responsible for Abdillahi's death and bring them to justice.
