Rochester Man Loses Appeal in 2019 Shooting Case

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal filed by a Rochester man who was sent to prison last year for a shooting that occurred more than five years ago.

An Olmsted County judge convicted 44-year-old Abdusalam Omar Hussein of second-degree assault and illegal possession of a firearm after a court trial in August of last year. Hussein was accused of shooting another man multiple times in the leg on the morning of November 3, 2019.

Victim Shot Five Times After Suspect Forced Entry

According to the criminal complaint, the victim told police he was sleeping when Hussein entered his unlocked apartment, began kicking him, and waved a gun around. He said Hussein then opened fire on him, causing five gunshot wounds to his leg.

That same day, an employee at a convenience store in northwest Rochester reported to police that a vehicle had pulled up next to him in the parking lot and the driver had threatened him with a handgun. The criminal complaint stated that Hussein later made a 911 call during which he claimed he was a child soldier and said he had an unloaded gun in his possession.

Suspect Claimed to Be ‘Child Soldier’ in 911 Call

Law enforcement officers were able to trace the 911 call and tracked Hussein as he drove north on Highway 52. Court documents say that at one point, Hussein told the 911 dispatcher that he was not going to stop and was willing to shoot at officers.

He was eventually taken into custody after the vehicle he was driving veered off Highway 52 and rolled. The criminal complaint says that following his arrest, he admitted to the shooting, which he blamed on being “disrespected” at an earlier party.

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Case Delayed by Pandemic and Mental Health Evaluations

The case was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health evaluations that initially found him incompetent to stand trial but were later reversed.

Hussein is now serving a five-year prison sentence for the illegal possession of a firearm conviction. He was later sentenced to an additional 18 months in prison after admitting to felony counts of witness tampering and terroristic threats related to the shooting case. Hussein was accused of threatening to kill the victim and the victim’s mother to prevent him from testifying.

In his appeal, Hussein unsuccessfully argued that the judge should not have allowed prosecutors to add the unlawful firearm possession charge shortly before the case went to trial.