Trial date set for Seward Market shooting suspect

Mahdi Hassan Ali
This undated image provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff shows Mahdi Hassan Ali, who along with another teenager was charged with three counts of murder in the Jan. 6 killings at Seward Market and Halal Meat. The teens were charged as adults. They are not related.
AP Photo/Hennepin County Sheriff

A trial date has been set for one of the two teenaged suspects in the Seward Market triple homicide.

The trial of Mahdi Hassan Ali is scheduled to begin on Sept. 27.

In the meantime, his lawyer, Frederick Goetz is trying to prove that Ali should be tried as juvenile.

Earlier this week, Goetz filed an affidavit from a woman who claims to be Ali's mother who says he is 15- years old.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Goetz says his investigation into the boy's age is ongoing, but if the woman's story is true, Ali will first have to go through a certification process to determine if he should be tried as a juvenile or as an adult.

A judge has not yet been assigned to officiate the case of the other shooting suspect, 17-year-old Ahmed Ali -- who's not related to Mahdi.

The two are accused of killing three men at a Minneapolis convenience store during a robbery attempt.

Mahdi Ali's lawyer, Fred Goetz is scheduled to update the court on the case next month.