Columbus gangster sentenced to 14-19 years in prison for manslaughter in fatal shooting
A Columbus man is serving a minimum 14-year prison term for killing a man his defense attorney said shot at his client first.
Mohamed Abdi, 18, pleaded guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to voluntary manslaughter for shooting 20-year-old Musa Aliyow on Feb. 1, 2023, at the Ashton Square Apartments complex on Columbus' West Side. Aliyow was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but died on Feb. 9, 2023.
Because Abdi was 17 at the time of the shooting, he was initially charged in Franklin County Juvenile Court before his case was bound over to adult court.
As part of the plea agreement, county prosecuting attorneys dropped other charges, including a murder charge.
Judge Sheryl Munson sentenced Abdi to 14 years to 19 years in prison, at the recommendation of the prosecution and Abdi's defense attorney, Lewis T. Dye.
Abdi was scheduled to appear in court next week, but his case was moved up. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 21 and was immediately sentenced.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Steven Schott told The Dispatch that Abdi admitted to being a member of "Bantu Life" or BL-800, a criminal gang based out of the Wedgewood Apartments complex in the city's Hilltop neighborhood.
Abdi pleaded guilty to a criminal gang participation specification on the manslaughter charge.
According to Dye, Aliyow shot first while Abdi was sitting in his vehicle.
"The guy who got killed was trying to do a hit on my client and put two shots in my client’s door," Dye told The Dispatch on Friday.
Aliyow's gun jammed and Abdi got out and shot him, according to Dye. Aliyow tried to run away but fell to the ground, and Abdi shot him again, Dye said.
Schott said surveillance video showed Aliyow put his hands up before Abdi shot him the second time.
On a recorded call made from jail, Abdi laughed about Aliyow begging for his life, Schott said.
"Once the guy's on the ground begging for his life, you can't finish him off. And that's what he did," Schott said.
Because Aliyow was unarmed when he was shot again, Dye said the judge probably would not instruct a jury to consider a self-defense argument. But there was sufficient provocation, making this manslaughter, Dye said.
jlaird@dispatch.com
@LairdWrites
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Gangster sentenced in Franklin County court for manslaughter
