Victim: Shooter made disparaging remarks about Muslims before opening fire

One of the victims of a shooting early Wednesday morning in a Minneapolis neighborhood near the University of Minnesota said the shooter made disparaging remarks about Muslims before opening fire.

Hussein Gelle, a 22-year-old Metropolitan State University student, said the shooter made the comments shortly after they came back from playing basketball at a nearby house. The men wore qamis, a long ankle-length robe that many Muslim men wear. Gelle said they were headed to a mosque to perform nightly prayers during Ramadan.

After they talked with the man, he opened fire, striking Gelle in the leg and hitting another person. Gelle and the other victim were treated and released from the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

"I'm scared for not only myself but for Muslims in general that are living in the state but this country," Gelle said. "I'm confused. I don't know why because the guy, we did nothing to antagonize him. He wanted to shoot us. He said what are you guys going to do about it? He wanted something to happen."

The Minneapolis Police Department says as of now, the incident is not currently being investigated as a hate crime, but that could change.

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