>>Oakdale Police Search for Missing 14-Year-Old Girl
(Oakdale, MN) — Oakdale Police are searching for a missing 14-year-old. Tiara Emari Johnson was last seen at her Oakdale home. She is described as Black, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown and pink braids and brown eyes. Johnson was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a multi-colored backpack. She may be in or near St. Paul or Mankato.
>>2 Women Dead, Child Hospitalized After Hit by Police-Pursued Car
(Minneapolis, MN) — Two women are dead, and a child is hospitalized, after a carjacking suspect being pursued by Minneapolis Police crashed into them. Officers responded to carjacking reports around 8 a.m. Other drivers cited the man as speeding and swerving into oncoming traffic. The suspect crashed and tried to carjack another person at gunpoint. He failed and violently carjacked another victim, driving her car dangerously and firing gunshots. Police began the pursuit and say the suspect hit the vehicle carrying the innocent victims within minutes. The two women died, and the child, believed to be five or six years old, was hospitalized. He is expected to survive. Three dogs were recovered; two were hurt, and one was euthanized. The suspect was arrested, and a gun was found in the vehicle he crashed.
>>1 Dead, 2 Injured in Crash Near Rochester College
(Rochester, MN) — One person is dead and two others are injured from a crash near a Rochester college campus on Wednesday. Police responded to a road connected to the stadium parking lot of Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) around 10 p.m. Investigators say two vehicles collided at the intersection. A 74-year-old man driving one vehicle was killed. The man’s 18-year-old passenger and the other driver, 34, were both brought to a hospital. No citations were issued.
>>Hooper Exonerated After 27 Years in Prison for Wrongful Conviction
(Stillwater, MN) — Today, after spending 27 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Bryan Hooper Sr. was released from Stillwater Correctional Facility. A Hennepin County judge vacated his conviction, citing false testimony and new evidence, including a confession from the original witness. Hooper was convicted in 1998 for the murder of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak in Minneapolis. The Great North Innocence Project (GNIP) filed the petition for his release on August 12th and worked with the county to clear his name. Prosecutors say Hooper is innocent and deserves justice after decades of wrongful imprisonment.
>>Kenyan National 74th to be Charged in FOF Fraud Scheme
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Kenyan national has been indicted for international money laundering in connection with the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Prosecutors say 28-year-old Ahmednaji Sheikh helped his brother, Abdiaziz Farah, hide millions in Kenya. The funds came from a federal child nutrition program, meant to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheikh allegedly used the money to buy Kenyan real estate and land through sham corporate entities. He’s the 74th person charged in the scheme.
>>Golden Valley Attorney Charged with Drug Possession, Threats of Violence
(Golden Valley, MN) — A Golden Valley attorney is charged in two separate filings in Hennepin County. Officials say 36-year-old Allen Al-Zouhayli is charged with third-degree drug possession and felony threat of violence. Authorities say on August 19th, 10 grams of cocaine were turned up in Al-Zouhayli’s apartment during a search warrant. This came after he allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend with a knife and a handgun. The county’s attorney’s office is also investigating each case in which Al-Zouhayli is listed as a defense attorney.
>>Brainerd High School Student Arrested for Violent Threats
(Brainerd, MN) — A 15-year-old boy is in custody for making threatening comments at Brainerd High School. Staff contacted police around 9:45 a.m. on Thursday after the student made the remarks. The boy was arrested this morning and is charged with felony threats of violence. Police say there was no immediate danger and there is no ongoing threat. The case is now with the Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office. This comes a week after the fatal shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school.
>>AG Ellison Celebrates Lawsuit Dismissal Challenging MN’s Captive Audience Ban
(St. Paul, MN) — Attorney General Keith Ellison celebrates the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on captive audience meetings. Passed in 2023, the law protects workers from being forced into meetings that push political or religious views or discourage unionizing. In a 2-1 ruling, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided the case couldn’t proceed without actual enforcement. Ellison says the decision is a win for workers and reminds Minnesotans they can sue if punished for refusing to attend such meetings.
>>National Student Walkouts on Gun Violence Prevention
(Undated) — Students across the country are walking out of school tomorrow at noon, demanding lawmaker action on gun violence. This comes in response to last Wednesday’s mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that killed two children and injured 21 people. Led by Students Demand Action, the walkouts call for a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Organizers say these “weapons of war” have no place in schools or communities.
>>Minnesota Lynx Play Streaking Aces in Las Vegas
(Las Vegas, NV) — The 32-8 Minnesota Lynx shoot for their third straight victory when they play the 26-14 Aces tonight at 9 p.m. in Las Vegas. The Aces are on a 12-game winning streak. Their last loss was a 111-58 blowout to the Lynx on August 2nd. Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson of Vegas are the frontrunners for MVP this season. Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington is out with a shoulder injury.
