LAKEVILLE, Minn. — A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to over a decade in prison following the fatal shooting of a colleague outside an Amazon fulfillment center, a tragedy triggered by a dispute over a missing flashlight attachment for a firearm.
Mohamed A. Hared received a 128-month prison sentence from Dakota County District Court on May 29. He had initially pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony in connection with the death of 22-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim Cariif. The court recognized Hared’s time served, granting him credit for 700 days spent in custody.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of June 29, 2024, in the parking lot of the Amazon facility located on 217th Street West. Hared, Cariif, and another co-worker, who had carpooled together for their overnight shift, were involved in a heated altercation after Hared discovered that a crucial component of his weapon was missing. Although Hared had properly registered his firearm, he left it in his vehicle during work hours. Upon realizing the flashlight attachment was gone, he accused both Cariif and the third man of taking it, a claim they both denied.
The altercation did not resolve after an initial search for the missing item. About three hours later, the men returned to the parking lot to continue their search, where tensions escalated. According to court documents, Hared refused the suggestion to consult security for surveillance video and repeated his allegations. Witnesses reported that Hared insisted, “I want my flashlight back. No one’s going home today,” before the situation turned violent.
The confrontation resulted in two physical scuffles during which Hared claimed Cariif confronted him aggressively, prompting Hared to feel threatened. Investigators noted, however, that video evidence contradicted Hared’s assertion of acting in self-defense, showing him initiating one of the fights and having opportunities to withdraw.
During the second fight, Hared brandished his weapon, which witnesses said led Cariif to attempt to seize it. Hared discharged his firearm, misfiring a shot that struck a nearby car. After a moment of chaos, he fired again, fatally hitting Cariif, who collapsed in a walkway. The frantic witness fled the scene and called for emergency services.
When law enforcement arrived around 4 a.m., they discovered Cariif unresponsive between two vehicles, while Hared was still on the scene, holding the weapon. Cariif was pronounced dead shortly after. An autopsy later revealed that the bullet had penetrated his chest, fatally wounding vital organs.
Hared was charged the same day, with the case rapidly progressing toward a resolution following his guilty plea in January. Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena expressed her dismay at the senseless nature of the crime, emphasizing that the dispute over a minor item escalated tragically.
Despite the case’s end in court, Hared’s future remains uncertain, as he awaits transfer to the Minnesota Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. This incident has drawn attention not just for its outcome, but also for the trivial nature of the trigger that ignited such a deadly confrontation among co-workers in a place typically associated with teamwork and collaboration.