Hamza Abdirashiid Said, 20, and Amiir Mawlid Ali, 18, have been federally charged with unlawful possession of machineguns following shootings at high school graduation ceremonies in Minnesota.
Wayzata High School Graduation Shooting
On May 30, 2025, University of Minnesota Police responded to a shooting outside Mariucci Arena, where Wayzata High School’s graduation ceremony was taking place. Amid the chaos, two attendees suffered gunshot wounds.
Law enforcement identified Hamza Said as the shooter and recovered a Glock 9mm pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine and a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch”, which turns semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons. Said was charged with unlawful possession of a machinegun.
Traffic Stop Leads to Second Arrest
On June 3, 2025, Minneapolis Police stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and identified Amiir Ali as a passenger. Officers, aware of Ali’s connections to gang-related shootings, discovered a Glock 10mm firearm under his seat, equipped with a loaded 33-round extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device.
Ali was later arrested on June 6, 2025, when police responded to another shooting at Burnsville High School’s graduation ceremony. In recorded jail calls, Ali expressed intent to obtain another machinegun conversion device upon release.
Federal Charges and Investigation
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson condemned the crimes, stating:
“High school graduation ceremonies are a rite of passage… To bring machineguns and violence to such a ceremony is immoral and shameful.”
Both men appeared in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty and remain detained pending hearings.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minneapolis Police Department, and University of Minnesota Police Department.
For more details, visit Justice.gov.
