Rochester Murder Suspect Released After Posting $1M Bond

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A man arrested last July for a fatal shooting in Rochester recently posted a non-cash bond and was released from the Olmsted County jail.

Charged With Murder Last July

Court documents indicate that bail was set at $1 million when 22-year-old Ibrahim Abukaar Abdi was formally arraigned in Olmsted County court last summer on two counts of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree assault, and a charge of illegal possession of a firearm. He is accused of shooting and killing 35-year-old Sadik A. Yusuf at the Villages at Essex Park apartment complex along 41st Street Northwest on the morning of July 3, 2025.

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Victim Shot in the Neck

The criminal complaint says Rochester police responded to reports of a shooting and found Yusuf outside one of the apartment buildings suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to his neck. The court document says the officers spoke with a witness who stated that he was with Abdi when Yusuf approached and the two men began arguing "over money and disrespect."

Witness Saw Shooting

According to the charges, the witness told investigators that he saw Yusuf take a bag of marijuana from Abdi, who responded by pulling out a gun and shooting Yusuf. The witness reported that Abdi immediately left, and he then attempted to render aid to Yusuf before police arrived.

photo by Andy Brownell

Video Evidence

Court documents say that, after he was arrested, Abdi denied any involvement in the murder, denied knowing the victim, and denied being at the apartment complex on the day of the shooting. The criminal complaint says surveillance camera video shows Abdi walking toward the crime scene immediately before the fatal shooting and walking away immediately afterward.

Abdi's next court appearance on the murder charges is not scheduled until January.

Murder at Same Location Last Week

The same apartment complex was the scene of a similar fatal shooting last week. Thirty-four-year-old Derrell Sheldon Williams of Rochester was formally charged on Monday with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree assault, and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the death of 31-year-old Carlton Gardner.

Olmsted County ADC photo

Similar Circumstances

Court documents say the Rochester man died last Thursday afternoon from a fatal gunshot wound to his neck. The criminal complaint says the shooting occurred while Williams and Gardner were involved in an altercation outside the Essex Park Apartments.

Bail for Williams is also set at $1 million.

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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross