Man charged with shooting outside Minneapolis mosque during drug confrontation

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Archive photo of police tape. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A 68-year-old Shakopee man under investigation for drug offenses now faces charges for shooting a man outside a Minneapolis mosque after he was confronted about drug trafficking, according to court records.

What happened?

The shooting occurred on August 19 at around 5:45 p.m. near the Masjid An-Nur mosque in the 1700 block of Lyndale Avenue North in Minneapolis.

A 75-year-old man had just left evening prayers with a friend when they noticed what appeared to be a drug deal taking place nearby. According to the prosecution, the man approached the large SUV and told the driver that he was not allowed to sell drugs there, after which the two got into an argument.

The driver tried to drive off, but according to the complaint, he made a U-turn and fired several shots at the two men.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the victim with numerous gunshot wounds to his arms and shoulders. He was taken to hospital for his injuries. The criminal complaint did not contain any current information on the man's condition.

How did the police make an arrest?

During the investigation, authorities learned that 68-year-old Yancy Hall, who was later identified as the driver, was under police investigation as part of a drug investigation.

According to the indictment, he was driving a large white SUV equipped with a tracking device from an earlier search warrant. Authorities reviewed the data, which police said tracked the vehicle to the crime scene, before leaving the area.

According to court documents, the vehicle was also captured on several surveillance cameras in the area.

What did the suspect say?

During a conversation with investigators, police say Hall confessed to shooting the victim. He claims he was “selling drugs” in the area and the man approached him and said he couldn't sell drugs there, according to the indictment.

Hall said as he drove off, he heard the victim say, “Get back, I'm going to kill your f***ing ass,” and then he turned around and started shooting, the charges state.

What happens next?

Hall was charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and additional counts of shooting a person from a passing car.

The criminal complaint did not explain why authorities began investigating Hall on drug charges or how long he had been under surveillance before the shooting.

His court date is scheduled for Friday afternoon, but he remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail.