The officers and suspect in the shooting on Friday have been identified by Fargo Police. Fargo Police officers were investigating a routine traffic accident on 25th Street and 9th Avenue South when the suspect, 37-year-old Mohamed Barakat, started firing at officers.
Mohamed Barakat, the suspect, was also killed. Here’s what we know everything about the suspect Mohamed Barakat and the tragic shooting.
About the shooting incident & Suspect Mohamed Barakat
After a shooting on Friday afternoon in Fargo, police have reported that one officer is dead and two others are hurt. In addition to being slain, the suspect was also seriously injured.
The officer who was slain, Jake Wallin, 23, who graduated from the Fargo Police Academy IV in April 2023, was named by Fargo police on Saturday afternoon along with additional details about the other officers involved.
Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes are the two policemen who suffered critical wounds. They had a critical but stable status listed.
The suspect Mohamed Barakat died in the shooting
According to police, the suspect, Mohamad Barakat, 37, a resident of Fargo, died at a nearby medical facility from his wounds. Police said that seven-year department veteran and Fargo police officer Zachary Robinson brought him down.
Robinson was given an administrative leave of absence, as is customary in similar circumstances. “In the approximately 150-year history of our department, the past 24 hours have been among the most challenging.
This act of aggression against our cops and the entire metro community was horrible and unfathomable. We are preparing for tremendously challenging days ahead as we collectively attempt to understand what has happened and lament its effects on our crew and the whole community, said Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski.
UPDATE: The suspect appeared to have planned a mass shooting in Fargo. Attorney General of North Dakota Drew Wrigley claims that Mohamed Barakat, who was slain by a Fargo police officer on Friday, was carrying explosives, firearms, a handmade grenade, and 1,800 rounds of ammunition.
“In the wake of Mohamed Barakat’s murderous, unprovoked attack. Officer Zach Robinson’s use of deadly force was reasonable. It was necessary. It was justified and in all ways it was lawful,” said Wrigley. “To our knowledge at this point, they were legally purchased. We don’t have other information. The investigation continues on. He was not a prohibited person.”
Witnesses claim to have heard gunfire
Around 3 p.m. on Friday, witnesses claimed a guy fired on police before being shot by other policemen. Soon after, police swarmed a neighborhood approximately 2 miles away, evacuated the residents, and began gathering what they claimed to be relevant evidence in relation to the shooting.
Gunshots were reportedly heard and seen by witnesses in the vicinity. KFGO Radio was told by Shannon Nichole that she was driving at the time.
Nichole added,
“I observed the traffic stop and while I was driving, bullets were fired and I watched the cops go down”. The bullet “went through my driver’s door and my airbag deployed.” Nichole reported that a man grabbed her and instructed them to leave the location.
As she and her daughter, 22, were traveling, a man pulled out a gun and started shooting at police, Chenoa Peterson told The Associated Press.
“He proceeds to aim it and you just hear the rounds go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God! “He’s firing!” Peterson initially wanted to stop and try to assist, but having her kid there persuaded her to go.
It’s strange to think that you might have been in that if you had gotten there ten seconds earlier, she continued. The fast sounds of gunfire were captured on surveillance footage that Fargo homeowner Allison Carlson made available.
When Bo Thi heard what she thought might have been fireworks or a motorcycle backfiring, she was working alone in a nail salon close to the shooting location. She claimed that she had no thoughts of gunshots at the moment.
Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski in a statement after the incident said,
“The events of the last 24 hours have been among the most difficult in our department’s nearly 150-year history. This was a heinous and unthinkable act of aggression against our officers and the entire metro community. As we all try to comprehend what has transpired and mourn the impact on our team and the entire community, we are bracing for extremely difficult days ahead.”
Our deepest condolences go out to the Fargo Police Department, their families and the whole Fargo community after the tragic incident that took place yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. pic.twitter.com/3IIUyKexD1
— ATF St. Paul (@ATFStPaul) July 15, 2023
Who is Mohamad Barakat?
Suspect Mohamad Barakat was 37 years old. He was a Fargo resident. On Friday, Barakat started shooting in Fargo.
One police officer was killed in the incident, while two others were hurt. He returned fire and was wounded as well, but after being taken to the hospital, he was pronounced dead.
The incident occurred on Friday at 3 p.m. close to the intersection of 25th Street and 9th Avenue South as police were responding to a car accident.
The incident resulted in the death of Fargo Police Department Officer Jake Wallin, a native of St. Michael, Minnesota.
According to the Fargo Police Department, officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes both sustained gunshot wounds, and they are currently receiving treatment at a neighboring hospital for serious injuries in critical but stable conditions.
By shooting and killing the suspect, Officer Zachary Robinson eliminated the threat. At the time of the event, Officer Robinson served as Officer Wallin’s training officer.
The shooting’s inquiry is still ongoing. The police department has stated that more information will be made public shortly.
Attorney General Drew Wrigley’s Statement
Shortly after Barakat started firing on three additional Fargo police officers along S. 25th St., Officer Zach Robinson shot Barakat.
From inside the car, he “absolutely” ambushed them, according to Wrigley. They lacked a means of knowing. He had access to the various loaded firearms that were in the car. He exited and turned around.
Some of the other items are also seen inside the car. On Friday, we’ll have a detailed discussion. Explosives were present there. There were petrol canisters inside.
Robinson was “the last man standing,” according to Wrigley, and his actions prevented what was ostensibly going to be a mass shooting in Fargo.
Wrigley and Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney both called Barakat’s actions an “ambush.” “Had Zach not neutralized the shooter, we would have had many more casualties.
When you look at the amount of ammunition this shooter had in his car. He was planning on more mayhem in our community.” said Mahoney. Wrigley will be back in Fargo on Friday with more details.
About the officers involved in shooting
Full statement on shooting from Fargo Police Department released on Friday night: The names of persons engaged in the July 14, 2023, major event near 9th Avenue South and 25th Street South in Fargo are being released by the Fargo Police Department.
Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin
Jake Wallin, a Fargo police officer and a native of St. Michael, Minnesota, was shot and killed during the incident. Wallin, who attended the American Military University and graduated from Alexandria Technical and Community College, was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard and had worked in the security industry previously.
Jake completed the Fargo Police Academy IV and joined the FPD on April 19, 2023. On that day, Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski administered his oath of office, and his father Jeff placed his badge on him.
Jake died while undergoing field training with the FPD. Jake responded that being an FPD officer was an exciting chance to genuinely make a difference in our community when asked to explain his interest in law enforcement.
The age of the officer was 23. Officer Andrew Dotas of the Fargo Police Department has worked for the FPD for six years.
Fargo Police Officer Andrew Dotas
Dotas has the positions of FPD Training Officer, Motorcycle Officer, Crowd Management Team, and Red River Valley SWAT Negotiations Team member. Dotas is a part of the Air National Guard of North Dakota.
Fargo Police Officer Tyler Hawes
Tyler Hawes (HAH-zzz), a Fargo police officer who will be sworn in on April 19, 2023, was a classmate of Wallin’s in FPD Academy IV. He is now doing FPD field training.
Hawes studied at the University of Minnesota-Morris and earned a psychology degree. He held a position as a corrections officer before joining the FPD.
Dotas and Hawes both suffered gunshot wounds, and they are presently being treated at a nearby hospital for significant injuries while in critical but stable condition.
Fargo Police Officer Zachary Robinson
Zachary Robinson, a seven-year veteran of the Fargo Police Department, ended the threat by shooting and killing the suspect. At the time of the incident, Robinson was working as Wallin’s training officer.
While the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NDBCI) investigates the use of force, Robinson has been placed on paid administrative leave.
According to the Fargo Police Department’s normal operating procedure, officers who are involved in shootings involving other officers are placed on administrative leave until the use of force investigation is finished.
During the crucial incident, a 25-year-old Fargo resident woman also received gunshot wounds. She suffered severe wounds and was taken from the site to a nearby medical facility.
Gregg Schildberger, chief communications officer’s statement
“We sincerely are asking for your patience and our community’s patience and understanding as the Fargo Police Department works through this incident,” Gregg Schildberger, chief communications officer for the city, told reporters at the scene later in the day. “This is very difficult on all of us. We are releasing as much information as we can at this point. … We appreciate all the messages from the community that have been given to us in support of our officers.”
South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police said,
Police and other local agencies across the region posted their sympathies for Fargo police on Facebook. “Thinking of our brothers and sisters in Fargo,” read a post from the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police.
The entire Fargo Police Department Team wishes to express their gratitude to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Fargo Fire Department, the Sanford Ambulance, the Red River Regional Dispatch Centre, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Bureau of Internal Investigation.
The elected and appointed officials at the local, state, and federal levels have our gratitude for their support. Information will be given as it becomes available as the inquiry develops.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.
It sickens me to hear of this event. What’s worse is who is Mohamed and how does he rate caring a gun in Fargo. How did he get to Fargo and why Fargo?
Thank Joe and the open borders
Jihad knows no boundaries.
North Dakota should fly the Flag at Half Staff for the policeman that was killed & the 2 that was injured & the one that killed the bad man as they should be reconized as heros in this event.
Was he born in the US or was he an immigrant? If an immigrant, legal or an illegal alien? If illegal alien, where and how did he get into the US? When did he come to Fargo? What local mosque did he attend? There are many questions. North Dakotans need to demand answers.