Alameen Allah Shabazz, a 22-year-old man from Robbinsdale, Minnesota, was tragically killed on June 22, 2021. The incident occurred outside the Nice Family African Market at 7401 Regent Avenue in Brooklyn Park. Shabazz was walking in front of the store when a suspect, sitting in a car, opened fire. Shabazz was struck by the gunfire and later succumbed to his injuries at North Memorial Health Hospital.
The suspect in the shooting was identified as Benjamin Richardson III, who was 25 years
old at the time of his arrest. Richardson was apprehended without incident in Bedford County, Virginia, on January 18, 2023. He was charged with second-degree murder and awaited extradition to Minnesota. Witnesses reported that a man with dreadlocks fired the shots from a silver Chrysler.
During the investigation, a 17-year-old girl was identified as the getaway driver. She testified that Richardson was the shooter. However, Richardson's lawyer challenged the validity of her testimony, citing a lack of physical evidence or eyewitness testimony directly linking Richardson to the crime. The only eyewitness, Shabazz's girlfriend, was unable to identify Richardson in a lineup.
Due to insufficient evidence, the murder charge against Richardson was dismissed in July 2023. Prosecutors stated that they could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The dismissal of charges left the case unresolved, with no other suspects publicly identified or arrested.
