Officers who killed Minneapolis mass shooting suspect identified as Nick Kapinos and Luke Kittock

ST. PAUL – The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the man killed during a use-of-force incident May 30 in Minneapolis. According to the medical examiner, Mustafa Mohamed, 35, of Minneapolis died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified two Minneapolis police officers who used force during this incident. They are both on critical incident leave.

• Nick Kapinos fired his department handgun. He has 10 years of law enforcement experience.
• Luke Kittock fired his department rifle. He has nine years of law enforcement experience.

According to the preliminary investigation, officers responded to an apartment building on Blaisdell Avenue on reports of a shooting.

Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell was the first officer to arrive on-scene. Over the radio, he said that he observed two men with injuries in the street, later identified as Mohamed and a bystander who had been shot. Mitchell got out of his car and approached Mohamed, who was sitting next to a parked vehicle. Mitchell asked Mohamed if he was hurt and needed help.

Without warning, Mohamed pulled out a handgun and shot Mitchell at close range. Mitchell fell to the ground, incapacitated.

Additional officers arrived at the scene and saw Mohamed continuing to shoot Mitchell. As the officers approached, Mohamed started shooting at them. That’s when Kapinos and Kittock returned fire, striking Mohamed. Officers attempted life-saving care but Mohamed died at the scene. Mitchell died at the hospital. Kittock was injured in the exchange of gunfire.

He was treated and released from the hospital. A Minneapolis firefighter was also treated for injuries related to this incident. The bystander who was shot remains hospitalized in critical, but stable condition.

BCA crime scene personnel recovered a handgun with an extended magazine and numerous cartridge casings at the scene.

There is both body-worn and squad car camera video of this incident. BCA agents are reviewing all available video as part of their active investigation.

The BCA is also investigating the related shootings, including a homicide that happened in the apartment building at the request of the Minneapolis Police Department. More information about this incident will be available as the investigation continues.