Minneapolis Man Sentenced to Three Years for Machine Gun Found During Graduation Shootings
The weapon, fitted with an automatic fire switch, was discovered in a vehicle headed to an Edina ceremony.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Amiir Mawlid Ali will serve nearly three years in federal prison following his April conviction on a machine gun possession count. The sentence concludes a case that began with his arrest in June 2025, a period marked by gunfire at graduation events across the Twin Cities metro area.
Police stopped Ali’s vehicle on June 3, 2025, for traffic violations. Officers identified him as a member of the Muddy street gang. An affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint noted that Ali was linked to several recent gang-related shootings. During the stop, officers said Ali attempted to flee. The passengers told law enforcement they were en route to the Edina graduation ceremony. A shooting had occurred at a Wayzata graduation event in the days prior.
Officers observed Ali repeatedly looking down at the floor and shifting items with his feet. After removing the occupants from the car, police located a Glock pistol equipped with a switch. This attachment converts a semi-automatic weapon into one that fires fully automatically. Prosecutors confirmed that DNA evidence later matched the gun to Ali.
Ali was initially released from jail after his 36-hold expired. He was arrested again following a separate shooting at the Burnsville High School graduation. The Muddy gang was subsequently named in a lawsuit seeking to bar its members from attending the Minnesota State Fair. That legal action also restricted entry for members of The Ville gang.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen stated that Ali possessed an extremely dangerous weapon capable of extreme damage. Rosen said the sentence holds Ali accountable for the public safety threat he posed. FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson added that while violent crime rates have declined, gang violence has remained high in the region over the past several months.
Dotson noted that the FBI Safe Streets Task Force continues to prioritize investigations of gang members using illegal firearms. He said the sentence serves as a message to gang members statewide that carrying an illegal firearm will lead to justice. The case is now closed pending any standard appeals.
