Crime
At least two shot during Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at Mariucci Arena
The suspect is currently in custody.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A shooting incident during a high school graduation ceremony outside 3M Arena at Mariucci has left at least two individuals injured and one person in custody, according to law enforcement and emergency officials.
The incident unfolded around 8:33 p.m. Friday in the area of 1901 4th Street SE, on the University of Minnesota campus in Southeast Minneapolis.
According to dispatch audio and emergency reports, multiple shots were fired during what was described as a large altercation involving a group of young men.
The arena was hosting the commencement ceremony for Wayzata High School at the time, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
University of Minnesota Police responded to the scene and apprehended a suspect matching the description provided: a Black male in his 20s, wearing a red and black shirt, blue hoodie, and jeans, who reportedly fled on foot following the shooting.
The suspect is currently in custody.
Authorities have not released his identity at this time.
Emergency Medical Services transported a 49-year-old male victim with a gunshot wound to the head and a 19-year-old male who sustained two gunshot wounds to the thigh.
Both were taken to area hospitals; the condition of the 49-year-old is not yet known, while the 19-year-old is believed to be in stable condition.
There were unconfirmed reports of a third injured individual who may have been taken from the scene in a private vehicle, which investigators are continuing to explore.
Cellphone video captured by a bystander shows a large group of individuals engaged in a fight moments before gunfire erupted.
It remains unclear whether the shooting occurred inside or outside the arena, though initial information and statements from officials suggest the incident took place outside.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz addressed the incident in a statement on social media, calling the shooting “horrific” and expressing support for the victims and their families.
“Horrific news of a shooting near Mariucci Arena during a graduation event tonight – a time of celebration that should never have turned into one of fear and sadness,” Walz stated. “As officials take the suspect into custody, I’m praying for the injured. We’re in touch with University of Minnesota Police, and the state stands ready to assist in any way possible.”
Wayzata Public Schools also issued a statement confirming the incident occurred following the graduation ceremony and that they are working to gather accurate information.
The University of Minnesota Police Department is leading the investigation with assistance from other local agencies. Authorities are urging anyone with information or footage related to the incident to come forward.
Further updates will be provided as more details become available.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.