Saint Paul Man Charged In Bullwinkle's Saloon Shooting

A Saint Paul man will make his first court appearance in the shooting death of a Minneapolis man in the parking lot outside of Bullwinkle’s Saloon, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Monday. Farhan Omar Hersi, 29, was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of 24-year-old Abdullahi S. Awil.

According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a call shortly after 3:00 a.m. on Aug. 31 about a shooting in the parking lot of Bullwinkle’s Saloon, located at Seven Corners in Minneapolis. When officers arrived on the scene, they found Awil dead from apparent gun shots.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner subsequently ruled that the death was a homicide, according to a news release.

Through surveillance video footage, police said they were able to identify the shooter as Hersi, who they claim is associated with the "St. Paul Pistol Boyz" gang. Hersi shot Awil several times at close range before fleeing the scene, according to the criminal complaint.

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