A deadly ambush outside a home on Summit View Court in Snellville has ended with two Minneapolis men sentenced to decades behind bars, more than four years after they allegedly traveled over 1,000 miles to carry out what prosecutors initially believed was a gang-ordered hit. Abdulrahman Munye Haji-Sufi, now 24, was sentenced to 40 years with 30 to serve, while Salih Ahmad Abdi, also 24, received the same 40-year sentence with 25 years to serve. Both men were 19 years old when the shooting happened on January 7, 2022, and both pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The shooting killed 28-year-old Tewodros “Teddy” Haile and left 36-year-old Fahmi Omer Ahmed wounded after being shot six times, according to court and prosecution records reported by 11Alive. Ahmed survived. Police said at the time that both victims were armed, though that detail did little to explain why two men dressed in black and wearing masks opened fire before escaping in a white SUV, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
According to Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office records, Haile had borrowed car keys from a friend whose Summit View Court home he and Ahmed were visiting that night. The friend rushed outside after hearing gunfire, just as Haile was attempting to drive away. Investigators say Haile was killed by a gunshot wound at the scene.
Prosecutors Concede the Motive Remains Unclear
Gwinnett prosecutors initially suspected the shooting was a gang-ordered hit, with a gang expert describing Abdi and Haji-Sufi as paid hitmen used by the organization, per Gwinnett prosecutors. Investigators identified the pair as members of the Somalian Outlawz criminal street gang, and Minneapolis police separately identified them the same way. But Gwinnett County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Ryan Smith has since acknowledged that investigators could not establish a definitive motive, according to the dossier’s account of his August statements, even though the victims were linked to a duffel bag containing roughly 50 pounds of marijuana…