5 Charged in Tire Iron Attack During Cooper Basketball Game
Three young men, all in their late teens, had court dates Friday afternoon to face felony riot and assault charges stemming from Tuesday’s attack of a Fridley basketball player during a game at Cooper High School.
Ayub Ali, 19, of Circle Pines; and Yahya Khanyare and Dursa Mohamed, both 18 of Brooklyn Park, are each charged with second-degree assault and second-degree riot. Mohamed is also charged with fleeing police in a motor vehicle.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said two others were taken into custody Friday and charged. One is identified as Mubashir Ali, 18, who is charged with felony riot and assault. A 16-year-old boy was also identified and charged.
“This was a shocking display of violence at a high school basketball game, causing injury to the victim and terrifying those in attendance,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
According to the criminal complaint:
Video shows five or six males arriving together in a red sedan. The group spends several minutes outside the school, then in the lobby “talking and conspiring together,” before making their way to the gym.
The suspects avoided the ticketed point of entry and walked straight toward the bench where the Fridley player was seated.
One of the suspects, identified as Khanyare, begins to run toward the player, raises his hand and strikes the player in the head with a metal tire iron.
“Before being struck in the head with dangerous weapon, the victim was totally unaware the attack was about to happen,” the complaint read.
Several other co-conspirators joined the attack, “attempting to strike and hit the victim with fists and other weapons.”
The complaint said one of the suspects attempted to stab the victim with a knife.
Three suspects were taken into custody Tuesday after the assault.
Video shows teammates and coaches rushing to the player’s aid. School officials said the attack occurred shortly after the game began between Fridley and Cooper. The gym went into lockdown and the game was postponed.
Another suspect, identified as Ayub Ali, was seen “appearing to act as a lookout.”
The suspects ran out of the school and sped off in the red sedan they arrived in. Pursuing officers attempted to stop the car, which crashed on an entrance ramp to a nearby highway. Five occupants inside were arrested.
The injured Fridley player, who has not been identified, was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The complaint said he needed six staples to close a laceration on his head. Moriarty said Friday that the player is recovering from his injuries.
Investigators have not revealed a motive.
New Hope police say the attack was not random, but have declined to elaborate.
According to school officials, none of those involved were Cooper students.
