Friends, colleagues and family members are remembering Khalid Abdi as an advocate for marginalized communities and a devoted husband who was expecting his first child.
“He was just a stellar, stellar human being,” said Max Hall, who worked with Abdi the past year at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5. “It’s a huge loss. All of us are really crushed by it.”
Abdi, 26, died after being shot multiple times Wednesday outside the Canterbury Park Expo Center following a prayer service for Eid al-Adha, according to Shakopee police.
Shakopee police arrested a suspect in the shooting Thursday morning, but have not disclosed a possible motive for the shooting. The suspect is in custody at the Scott County jail, and had not been criminally charged as of Thursday evening.
The suspect, whom Sahan Journal is not naming because he has not been criminally charged, is being held on probable cause first-degree premeditated murder, according to the Scott County jail website.
The suspect has a criminal history that includes one felony third-degree assault conviction in a March 2021 incident in Bloomington where he beat a man with a crowbar.
According to the 2021 criminal complaint: In that incident, the suspect parked his car on 78th street near the Nicollet Avenue intersection, got out, approached a man and hit him repeatedly with a crowbar. He also hit a woman who attempted to intervene.
Police later found the bloodied victim one block away outside of a Super 8 motel. The victim suffered a concussion and lacerations, according to the complaint, which did not disclose the motive or whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The suspect pleaded guilty to assault the following year and served three years probation. Abdi was first identified in an online fundraising page seeking donations for his funeral service and financial support for his family. Abdi was newly married, according to the post.
He was described in the post on LaunchGood as “the kind of person who showed up for others” with “humility, compassion, and purpose.”
“Khalid was supposed to be building his future,” the post said. “What should have been a season of joy, new beginnings, and celebration has now become a time of unimaginable grief for his wife, unborn child, parents, siblings, and everyone who loved him.”
The shooting occurred on Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar.
“The pain of losing him on Eid al-Adha is impossible to put into words,” the fundraising post said. “Eid al-Adha reminds us of sacrifice, faith, and the responsibility we have to care for one another. On a day when Muslims around the world gather with loved ones, share blessings, and remember the meaning of giving, Khalid’s family was forced to face a loss no family should ever have to carry.”
The American Council of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5 also identified Abdi as the shooting victim. The union shared a post on Facebook noting that he was a member, and that the union is “heartbroken” by his loss.
“Khalid will be forever remembered for his tenacious organizing spirit, his warm and inviting presence, and his unyielding passion and drive to fight for the working-class and all historically marginalized communities,” AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director, Bart Andersen said in a prepared statement. “His mentorship of countless workers, defending contract language and workers’ rights, and the collective bargaining agreements he negotiated alongside workers will last a lifetime.
Abdi had been working for AFSCME for a little more than one year as a field director, where he mentored young workers, made sure employers upheld agreements and helped bargaining units negotiate contracts, according to Hall, an AFSCME Council 5 spokesperson. Abdi came to AFSCME after working a similar role at the Service Employees International Union, which represents health care employees.
Abdi was motivated by a desire to uplift marginalized communities, Hall said.
“A lot of that ability he saw came through unionizing and collective bargaining,” he said.
Abdi also was inspired from and had a close relationship with his father, who has worked in various advocacy efforts in the Shakopee community, Hall added.
The Senate District 63 DFL, a local political unit where Abdi was a volunteer, posted a tribute to him on its website and across social media calling him a dear friend and community member. The tribute described Abdi as a tireless volunteer who was eager about getting “young people excited about improving their community.”
“He had a great heart, greeting all with a warm smile and a bright welcome. He brought these gifts to his work in the DFL, as a labor union rep, and on so many campaigns,” the post read. “Though Khalid only had 26 years with us, his impact has been immense, and his legacy stands as an inspiration.”
More labor organizations, including the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) and the Minnesota AFL-CIO, posted on social media in remembrance of Abdi, lamenting the loss of a “tenacious spirit” who had an unwavering commitment to working-class and marginalized communities.
“He truly embodied the best of the labor movement, and his loss will be deeply felt across Minnesota’s union family,” the MAPE tribute said.
Shakopee police found Abdi at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday while responding to a weapons complaint. First responders immediately transported him to Hennepin Healthcare.
Shakopee police confirmed later that afternoon that he had died.
Canterbury Park spokesperson Jeff Maday said that the shooting happened in the parking lot outside of the event center. He added that Canterbury maintains a security presence at all hours.
