Teenage boy shot and killed after a car accident with Conceal and Carry holder
A rare and unfortunate occurrence undertook the quiet southeastern Minnesota city of Rochester on January 14th. A teenage boy was shot dead after a minor traffic accident resulted in a fatal altercation. 25-year-old Alexander Weiss is accused of shooting and killing 17-year-old Muhammed Rahim after a confrontation.
According to local news outlet KTTC, on a snowy Sunday morning, Weiss and Rahim came in contact through a minor car accident around 8:20 AM on the northeast side of town on 31st Street and East River Road. Rochester police reported after a short confrontation between the two individuals, Weiss pulled out a handgun and shot Rahim one time in the chest.
The 17-year-old Rahim was traveling with two passengers, Noah Dukart and Riley Bongiorno. The two teens accompanying Rahim explained after what they saw.
"My friend got out and confronted him, and the guy who we hit wanted to fight and my friend got in his face. Then the guy we hit pulled a gun out and my friend said, 'I dare you,' and he shot him right in the heart, and I watched him bleed out," said Dukart in a statement to KTTC.
A resident of the area expressed concern over the incident. While car accidents are something of the norm during the winter months, fatal conflicts are few and far between in Rochester.
"This is really surprising to hear that somebody died right on the corner. Sometimes I do go to work at nine o'clock, so sometimes I do leave at like 8:30 or 8:45 in the morning. I'm glad that God made sure that I was out of the way," said neighboring resident Luciana Smith.
Weiss was legally carrying a handgun authorities say. Police also reported that Weiss claims his actions were in self-defense. He is facing charges of second-degree murder and is currently held at the Olmsted County jail.
According to the Twin Cities news outlet The Star Tribune, Rahim’s family fled Iraq in 2012 and relocated to what they believed was a much safer place to raise a family. Abdulwahhab Kareem, who is the victim's father, expressed his grief at the outcome.
“This accident happened for nothing,” Kareem said. “A car accident happened. This is the business of the insurance company. But somehow in the safest place in the world, and the safest place in the U.S., I lost my life. I lost my son.”
According to reports from The Star Tribune, the case may come down to whether or not the shooter had reasonable means to retreat from the conflict. Weiss may be judged on what is known as the duty to retreat, which means that the shooter is required to retreat unless there was no other choice, or immediate danger was present.
According to Carrypermit.net, “The intentional taking of the life of another is not authorized by section 6906.06 except when necessary in resisting or preventing an offense which the actor reasonably believes exposes the actor or another to great bodily harm or death, or preventing the commission of a felony in the actor’s place of abode.”
Weiss’s first court date was Tuesday, January 16. Though charged with murder Weiss was still offered bail and release conditions. Some citizens of the local community are bothered by the courts offering of bail. Minnesota is an interesting state to look at when it comes to recent gun violence. There has been tension in the community between citizens and police. Philando Castile was shot and killed by an officer in the Twin Cities in 2016. The officer was acquitted of all charges in 2017. Justine Damond was shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor this past summer. Hennepin County prosecutor Mike Freeman still hasn’t decided if the officer will be charged with Damond’s death. Weiss’s case is a bit different since both Weiss and the victim were civilians. We’ve seen Ramsey County completely fumble Philando Castile’s case. Hennepin county is on the clock with officer Noor’s case. We will wait to see what happens with Weiss’s case as the next court date awaits.
Sources:
Hammer, Steven. "Use of Force - Castle Doctrine - Minnesota." Chandler's Conceal & Carry. February 03, 2017. Accessed January 26, 2018. https://www.carrypermit.net/use-force-castle-doctrine-minnesota/.
Krusemark, Holden. "Rochester teen killed after car accident turns into deadly argument." HOME - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports. January 14, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2018. http://www.kttc.com/story/37263790/2018/01/Sunday/rochester-teen-killed-in-shooting http://www.startribune.com/rochester-murder-case-may-hinge-on-the-phrase-duty-to-retreat/470306113/.
"Rochester murder case may hinge on the phrase 'duty to retreat'." Star Tribune. Accessed January 26, 2018. http://www.startribune.com/rochester-murder-case-may-hinge-on-the-phrase-duty-to-retreat/470306113/.
