Minneapolis, MN
Frey vetoes measure supporting pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied U of M building
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blocked a city council resolution supporting students at the University of Minnesota who are facing academic suspension and fines for occupying a campus building in October to call for divestment from Israel.
The veto comes after the city council voted last week to pass the resolution. It passed 7 to 6 before heading to Frey’s desk.
The mayor said he vetoed the resolution “without hesitation” because he does not support “damaging property and endangering the safety of others.” He called the Oct. 21 occupation of Morrill Hall “neither peaceful nor protected speech.”
“I fully support the right to freedom of speech, but that right does not extend to actions that jeopardize the well-being of others,” wrote Frey in a statement. “The council’s resolution sets a disturbing precedent that must apply to all groups evenly regardless of the cause they are protesting.”
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The resolution, authored by Council member Robin Wonsley, supported all 11 arrested protesters and urged the University of Minnesota to drop all academic charges, suspensions and evictions of seven who are students. One student is not facing punishment, according to the U’s Students for a Democratic Society.
It also encouraged dropping the criminal charge against the one protester related to the occupation, who is a recent alum, and asked the university to work with students on their demand for the U to divest from the state of Israel and weapons manufacturers.
Protesters with the University of Minnesota’s Students for a Democratic Society gather inside the Public Services Center on Dec. 3 in Minneapolis. The group held signs demanding solidarity with student protesters and calling for the withdrawal of recent suspensions.
Sophia Marschall | MPR News
U president says occupation caused $67,000 in damages
U of M President Rebecca Cunningham alleges the seven student protesters barricaded the entrances, spray painted and destroyed security cameras, broke windows and damaged property while “forcing entry into locked spaces.”
The estimated damages are over $67,000.
“The protesters violated multiple University policies, caused significant building damage and harm to staff who were present when the building was overrun by protesters,” wrote Cunningham in a letter to Frey.
She also said there were many staff members that were inside of the building during the occupation that were afraid.
“Since Oct. 21, these employees have shared that they feel less safe or uncomfortable in their workspaces. Others have felt compelled to strip their desks of photos of family or friends and personal belongings. These are employees who simply came to work on Oct. 21 to do their jobs and were eventually forced out of the building rather than finish out their workdays,” she said.
A pile of tables, chairs and other objects barricade a door to Morrill Hall as students occupy the building to protest the war in Gaza and investment in Israel and the military industrial complex in Minneapolis on Oct. 21.
Tim Evans for MPR News
Student activist group compares occupation to 1969 protest
According to Students for a Democratic Society, seven students were suspended for up to two and a half years and were charged about $5,500 each in restitution payments for the occupation. At least three of the students were evicted from student housing.
Juliet Murphy, a spokesperson for the student group, said they were expecting Frey to veto the resolution.
“We really want to encourage people to keep showing up, keep calling council members, emailing council members, showing them that the community really, really supports these students,” said Murphy.
“At the end of the day, this genocide has been going on for over a year now, and we really care about the university taking action, and we will continue to keep protesting to get them to do so.”
In 1969, Black students occupied Morrill Hall for 24 hours as part of the Civil Rights Movement. The occupation spurred the creation of the U’s Department of African-American and African Studies, which Wonsley cited during a Dec. 3 committee meeting.
“Mind you, that student-participated action literally used the same exact tactics that the students who are currently being stringently punished for doing the same efforts in solidarity for Palestine today,” said Wonsley. “And I’m pretty sure decades from now, the University of Minnesota community will look back and honor students who protested for Palestine human rights in 2024.”
Student facing suspension says she did not vandalize building
Ava Schaeffel is a U of M student and was one of the protesters who was arrested. She says she is frustrated at the punishments the University has given out.
She was put on interim suspension immediately after the occupation and then given a 1.5-year suspension that starts in 2025. She also says she has to pay $5,600 in restitution, do 20 hours of community service and write a five-to-10 page essay on “the difference between vandalism and protests.”
“Looking at the response to this occupation compared to past occupations of Morrill Hall, this is the most extreme response we’ve seen,” said Schaeffel.
Schaeffel says she did not participate in the vandalism of Morrill Hall and is unsure of the reasoning behind the university’s rulings on punishments.
She and others have requested formal hearings in hopes it will result in a different decision.
The mayor, who is Jewish, previously vetoed a resolution in January calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war in Gaza.
At the time, Frey said he supported a ceasefire, a return of hostages and a two-state solution, but called the language of the resolution “one-sided.”
A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.
Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.
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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.
Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.
The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.
PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building
Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.
READ MORE > Minneapolis coverage
In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.
Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.
Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
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Minneapolis, MN
Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say
Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.
Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.
READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building
Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery
The set-up:
Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.
A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.
The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”
The robbery:
The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.
They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.
When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.
The shooting:
The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.
The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.
The victim was then found dead.
The aftermath:
Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.
Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
Local reactions to the strike
What we know:
The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.
Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.
The other side:
Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.
Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.
Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall
Why you should care:
A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.
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