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Hennepin County Judge Kathryn Quaintance on Monday sentenced Anthony Sawina to 39 years in prison for the shooting of two Somali-American men in a car on their way to prayers.

The sentence is longer than what prosecutors had asked for after jurors 

 of nine felony counts last month, including attempted premeditated murder. 

After the sentence was announced, Sawina sharply rebutted without raising his voice, as he told court officials, "You are the criminals here."

Man guilty of attempted murder in shooting of Somali men in Mpls.


"I don't blame him for being upset. What he said afterwards I think was his reaction to an excessive sentence," Sawina's attorney, Murad Mohammad said in an interview outside the courtroom. "He probably shouldn't have had an outburst in court like that." 

In court, Mohammad argued his client fired at the men in self-defense. One of Sawina's friends who had been out drinking with Sawina at a Dinkytown bar the night of the shooting said it 

Crime, Law and Justice

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Brandt Williams

Author

A judge sentenced Anthony Sawina on Monday for the shooting of two Somali-American men in a car on their way to prayers.

Man gets 39 years for attempted murder of 2 Somali men

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