Campus Alert Archive
UMN

Graduation Gunfire: Machine-Gun-Equipped Shooter Wounds Father and Teen Outside UMN's Mariucci Arena

MNshootingemergency notificationhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

On May 30, 2025, at approximately 8:20 PM CDT, Hamza Said, 20, opened fire outside 3M Arena at Mariucci following a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony. Two people were injured — a 49-year-old father shot in the head (fractured skull, survived) and a 19-year-old. Said was found with a Glock 17 with an automatic conversion 'switch' and extended magazine. A SAFE-U emergency alert was issued.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
2
Institution
University of Minnesota
Public R1 · MN
~52,000 studentsSAFE-U
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTmulti-channel
Verified verbatimUMN Public Safety Facebook post mirroring the SAFE-U alert139 chars
U of M Twin Cities: Shots fired at Mariucci Arena. Police and EMS are on scene. Stay away from the area until further information is given.
Verbatim from the UMN Public Safety Facebook account, which posts mirrored copies of SAFE-U alerts
Sent shortly after the shooting at approximately 8:20 PM CDT on May 30, 2025, after a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony
The shooter possessed a Glock 17 handgun with an automatic conversion device ('switch') and extended magazine — effectively a machine gun
A 49-year-old father of a graduate was shot in the head but survived with a fractured skull
ALL CLEARmulti-channel
Verified verbatimSAFE-U Emergency follow-up text, UMN Department of Public Safety archive95 chars
A suspect is in custody, and authorities do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the area.
Verbatim follow-up text published on the UMN Department of Public Safety SAFE-U archive page for the May 30, 2025 incident
Hamza Said was arrested near Williams Arena, where police found his discarded graduation gown and the weapon
The gown Said was wearing did not match the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony attire, raising questions about whether he was an attendee
Context

Background

On May 30, 2025, a shooting outside 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus injured two people following a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony. Hamza Said, 20, of Coon Rapids, opened fire at approximately 8:20 PM CDT. A 49-year-old father of a graduate was shot in the head and suffered a fractured skull but survived. A 19-year-old was also injured. Both victims were hospitalized and later discharged. A SAFE-U emergency alert was issued by UMN's Department of Public Safety. The Minnesota Daily reported that Said was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and owning a machine gun. Officers found his discarded graduation gown and a Glock 17 handgun with an automatic conversion device ('switch') and extended magazine near Williams Arena. The Star Tribune and KARE 11 provided local coverage. ABC News covered the story nationally.
Analysis

Key Findings

The shooter possessed a machine-gun-converted Glock 17 with an automatic 'switch' — highlighting the proliferation of illegal auto conversion devices on campuses
A father attending his child's graduation was shot in the head and survived with a fractured skull — the human impact of campus-adjacent gun violence
This was UMN's third major shooting-related SAFE-U alert in 2024-2025 (after the January 2024 threat and September 2025 Rapson Hall incident)
Outcome
Hamza Said, 20, was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and owning a machine gun. Both victims were hospitalized and later discharged.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    SAFE-U Emergency (UMN Department of Public Safety)
    publicsafety.umn.edu
  2. News
    Man charged with assault in Mariucci Arena shooting (CBS Minnesota)
    cbsnews.com
  3. News
    Mariucci Arena shooting at University of Minnesota (Fox 9)
    fox9.com
  4. Student Paper
    20-year-old charged after shooting at Mariucci Arena (Minnesota Daily)
    mndaily.com
  5. News
    Suspect in custody after shots fired at U of M arena (Star Tribune)
    startribune.com
  6. national media
    2 shot outside Minnesota high school graduation (ABC News)
    abcnews.com
Tags
shootingmachine-gunauto-switchgraduation-ceremonymariucci-arenaminnesotahigh-school-eventfather-shotarrest-made
Added April 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion