Notre Dame HS Mourns Grad Fatally Shot By State Trooper

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Notre Dame High School community is mourning the loss of former student Mubarak Soulemane, who was fatally shot last week by a state trooper.

Soulemane, 19, of New Haven, was a member of the private Fairfield high school's class of 2018, according to the school's Facebook page.

"Please know that my heart goes out to Mubi's family — as our community mourns his loss," Principal Christopher Cipriano said in a tweet Sunday evening. "No life should end that early. ND will keep him & his family in our prayers."

Cipriano went on to say that information about support for the school community would be announced when classes resumed after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Soulemane died Wednesday after a chase that began in Norwalk and ended in West Haven. He was shot by Trooper Brian North, according to officials, who said Soulemane was holding a knife at the time of his death. North has been placed on administrative assignment, officials said. The Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad and New London State's Attorney's Office are overseeing the investigation of the shooting.

The incident began Wednesday afternoon when Norwalk police responded to a reported armed carjacking. Officers found and attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver engaged police in a pursuit. Later, troopers tried to stop the car while it was traveling on Interstate 95, but the driver struck two state police cruisers before getting off at Exit 43 in West Haven, officials said. The car then hit a vehicle and was boxed in by state police. Law enforcement deployed a Taser, which was ineffective, according to officials. When the driver displayed a knife, North fired and struck Soulemane, police said.

The Norwalk Hour reports members of Soulemane's family and community leaders are questioning the shooting, in part because they do not believe Soulemane was given an adequate chance to exit the vehicle before he was shot.

A GoFundMe page for Soulemane's funeral and memorial expenses had exceeded its $3,500 goal as of early Tuesday morning.