Five friends were killed Friday in Minneapolis while making their way home from preparations for a friend’s wedding the following day, according to police and multiple reports.
Sabiriin Ali, 17, Sahra Gesaade, 20, Salma Abdikadir, 20, Sagal Hersi, 19, and Siham Adam, 17, were killed June 16 after a speeding driver allegedly ran a red light and crashed into their vehicle just after 10 p.m., CBS News Minnesota reported. The five “inseparable” friends were just leaving the Karmel Mall after having henna applied ahead of a friend’s wedding scheduled for the following day, the Star Tribune reported.
“They weren’t doing anything wrong,” Khalid Omar, director of Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, where the five attended services and volunteered for many years, told the outlet. “They were just getting ready for their friend’s wedding.” (RELATED: Drunk Driver Allegedly Kills Newlywed Bride Leaving Reception In Golf Cart)
“Losing anyone, that’s a tragedy. But losing five young people at the same time, is something that is very hard to process,” Omar said, CBS reported in a separate article. “These were individuals who had a bright future … We’re talking about the pearls. We’re talking about the bright stars of our community.”
The suspect in the car crash is in custody, according to a CBS News report published early Tuesday. The identity of the man is not yet known as he has yet to be formally charged with a crime.
“Pearls of our community”: Five young women who had just left Karmel Mall after having henna applied for a friend’s wedding were killed Friday night when a speeding driver ran a red light and struck their car on Lake Street. https://t.co/XcG9gGo7QD
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) June 18, 2023
A state trooper witnessed a speeding driver on Interstate 35W at around 10:15 p.m., Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told the outlet. Before the trooper could pull the driver over, however, the vehicle reportedly exited the interstate onto Second Avenue and ran a red light, striking the car carrying the five young women. The driver then fled the scene before being tracked down by Minneapolis police and taken into custody, according to the outlet. Police have indicated the driver may have been impaired.
“This kind of reckless behavior from an individual – who survived. Who took five girls who had their future away. We want justice for these girls,” City Councilmember Jamal Osman said, according to CBS.
Though police have not released the driver’s name, sources reportedly told the Star Tribune police apprehended 27-year-old Derrick John Thompson in connection with the incident. Thompson is allegedly the son of former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson of St. Paul’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The former lawmaker did not respond to the Tribune’s requests for comment, the outlet stated.
Thompson reportedly has multiple previous convictions for driving-related offenses, including driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to Department of Public Safety records cited by the Tribune. His license was reportedly reinstated in March 2023.