In the early morning hours of February 28, 2021, a Minneapolis street became the final scene in the life of 29-year-old Shamso Mohamed Gedi-Abdi, a Black female from St. Paul. At approximately 6:22 a.m., police responded to a report of a shooting on Logan Avenue North, where they discovered Gedi-Abdi lying face down in the street. Rushed to a nearby hospital, she succumbed to a gunshot wound to the abdomen a few hours later.
The events leading to her tragic death were captured on
surveillance video. Gedi-Abdi was seen approaching a vehicle that had pulled up to the curb. A man, later identified as 40-year-old Tyrone Maddox of Minneapolis, emerged from the passenger seat. After a brief interaction behind the vehicle, Gedi-Abdi fell to the ground as Maddox fled the scene in the same car. The driver of the vehicle later informed police that Maddox was the shooter, stating that Maddox had demanded to be driven away from the scene and boasted, "I'm a killer in the streets!". When questioned by the driver about his motive, Maddox curtly replied, "That's none of your business."
Later that day, police located Maddox in downtown Minneapolis. He attempted to flee, discarding a handgun under a vehicle before being apprehended. Upon his arrest, Maddox reportedly told officers, "Just shoot me bro. It's over for me. Kill me now." He later admitted to investigators that he had shot Gedi-Abdi, claiming he was intoxicated and that the shooting was not intentional. He revealed a history of animosity between them, alleging that Gedi-Abdi had stolen approximately $400 from him a month prior. He also admitted to selling her crack cocaine.
Tyrone Maddox, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. In June 2021, Maddox pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder. As part of a plea agreement, charges of second-degree intentional murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm were dismissed. He agreed to a 20-year sentence for his role in the death of Shamso Gedi-Abdi.
