Mohamed A. Hared (Dakota County Jail) and the Amazon Fulfillment Center where he allegedly killed a co-worker over a missing flashlight (Google Maps)
A 24-year-old Amazon Fulfillment Center employee in Minnesota has been arrested and accused of killing his co-worker, allegedly shooting the other man during an argument over a missing flashlight accessory.
Mohamed A. Hared was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with one count of second-degree murder in the slaying of Ahmed Ibrahim Cariif, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Lakeville Police Department at about 4 a.m. on June 29 responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting in the Amazon facility parking lot in the 9800 block of 217th St. W. in Dakota County, Minnesota. One of the callers identified himself as Hared and said that he had “accidentally” shot a co-worker.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located Cariif lying face down on the ground between two cars while Hared stood nearby “with a gun in his hand.” A third man, identified as “Witness 1,” had also called 911 and was waiting inside the facility for police. Cariif was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police learned that Hared, Cariif, and the witness were colleagues and had carpooled to work together in the witness’ vehicle.
Speaking to police, Hared — who has a firearm permit — said he brought his gun with him to work but left it in the witness’ car. At about 1 a.m., he was on break and went out to the car and found his gun was still there, but claimed that a flashlight attachment on the firearm was missing. Hared accused Cariif and the witness of stealing the flashlight, which both denied.
The trio all had another break at 4 a.m. and agreed they would all go and look for the flashlight in the car. Hared told police he put the gun back in his waistband while they searched.
Hared claimed that when he “politely” asked Cariif to return his flashlight, Cariif “became upset and made a stance indicating he wanted to fight.” He claimed Cariif “advanced” on him and threw a punch so Hared “had no other choice but to defend himself.”
According to Hared, he tried to run away, but Cariif chased after him and cornered him, which is when he pulled out the gun and said, “Stop man, I don’t want to have to use this,” but that did not deter Cariif, whom he claimed “continued to advance” on him.
“I don’t know if he reached for my gun but as soon as he jumped on me, out of nowhere I heard the first shot, I don’t know if I hit anything else,” Hared said, per police.
Hared told police that Cariif then began strangling him and attempted to pry the gun away from him, which is when the weapon accidentally fired and struck Cariif.
However, testimony from the witness, which was corroborated by security camera footage, undercut several of the defendant’s claims, police said.
The witness told police that when he and the other men couldn’t find the flashlight, he suggested they call security to review surveillance footage of the parking lot, but Hared refused.
“No. You guys took my flashlight,” Hared allegedly told the other two men. “I want my flashlight back. No one’s going home today.”
Hared and Cariif then got into a brief physical altercation that the witness broke up. Minutes later, there was a second physical altercation during which Hared took out his gun.
“When (Hared) pulled it out, (Cariif) tried to grab the gun. (Hared) shot towards (Cariif). The bullet struck the car,” the affidavit states. “(Cariif) then yelled ‘Don’t shoot me.’ Witness 1 yelled ‘Don’t shoot.’ (Hared) fired a second shot and (Cariif) fell to the ground. Witness 1 believes there was approximately three to five seconds in between the fired shots. Witness 1 ran inside the building out of fear of being shot and to call for help.”
A review of security camera footage showed that Hared threw the first punch in the men’s first altercation and that at no point during either fight did he attempt to retreat despite having multiple opportunities to do so.
“Instead, he engaged in the fight and at 4:09 a.m. (Cariif) was shot and fell to the ground in the walkway,” the complaint said.
An autopsy revealed that the bullet entered Cariif’s chest and struck his heart, lung, and aorta artery.
Hared is being held in the Dakota County Jail on $1 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on July 15.
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