Brooklyn Center man pleads guilty in drive-by shooting that paralyzed football player

The Brief A 22-year-old Brooklyn Center man has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting assault in a 2025 drive-by shooting that left a college football player paralyzed. Osman Hi Kamara, one of four men charged in the incident, pleaded guilty. The shooting happened after an argument during a basketball game, and left Michael Blidi Jr. paralyzed from the knees down. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A 22-year-old Brooklyn Center man is pleading guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree assault to resolve a 2025 assault and drive-by shooting case that ended with a football player being paralyzed. What the Nov. 3 court filing shows What we know: Osman Hi Kamara, 22, filed the petition for a guilty plea on Nov. 3 in Hennepin County District Court. In exchange, he gets a stayed sentence of 36 months, and a cap of 180 days in jail. The backstory: Charges filed in Hennepin County Court state that on May 29, 2025, Brooklyn Park officers responded around 12:30 a.m. to a shooting that occurred on the 6000 block of Garwood Road North. When they arrived, officers observed several people outside, including Michael Blidi Jr., who had a gunshot wound to his lower back and told officers he could not feel his legs. Doctors later determined he had multiple fractures to his spine and large bullet fragments inside his spinal canal, according to charges. Blidi Jr. told police that he had parked his car when two men wearing ski masks – later identified as Harris and Kamara – drove by and fired at them. Through an investigation, authorities determined that a few days prior, Blidi Jr. was involved in an altercation with a couple of men during a basketball game that ultimately led to him punching one of them. Earlier in the day, on May 28, one of the men was then communicating on social media, saying he would "take care of it," according to the charges. Blidi Jr. told police he believed the shooting was in retaliation for the earlier fight, charges state. Kamara was one of four men charged in connection with the incident. Blidi Jr. recovery What's next: A GoFundMe created to " Help Michael Blidi Jr. Walk Again " says a gunshot wound to his spinal cord left Blidi Jr. paralyzed from the knees down. The campaign has so far gathered around $16,500 of its $30,000 goal. The same post says Blidi had a full scholarship to play football at Iowa Central prior to the incident. Blidi Jr. is the brother of NFL defensive tackle Philip Blidi, who played for the Tennessee Titans. What's next: The petition says any agreement between the defense and prosecutors would still need court approval. It also says Kamara would have the right to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial if the court did not approve that agreement. The Source: Documents filed in Hennepin County District Court on Nov. 3. Crime and Public Safety Brooklyn Park