Update: Man pleads guilty to murder in Grand Forks shooting

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) -

Update 6/1/22: The man accused of murdering a Grand Forks woman, Megan Gustafson, has changed his plea to guilty. Ahmed Mohamed Abdullahi will be sentenced on September 7th. If he’s found guilty of the murder charge, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

The shooting happened last September in the 1300 block of 8th Avenue North. Grand Forks Police were outside Gustafson’s apartment at the time of the shooting. They were called for a report of a suspicious person, knocked on the apartment door and talked to Gustafson, then walked away. Shortly after, they heard an argument coming from inside the apartment, heard a single gunshot, then saw Gustafson run into the lawn and fall to the ground.

Original story 9/13/21: Grand Forks Police have identified the victim of a weekend shooting as 28-year-old Megan Lea Gustafson. The manslaughter charge originally filed against 26-year-old Ahmed Mohamed Abdullahi has been amended to Murder. Abdullahi is also charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and theft of property.

Grand Forks Police say the shooting happened just after 1:30 Sunday morning at a home in the 1300 block of 8th Avenue North. Officers responded to a report of a suspicious man in the area, they knocked on an apartment door and talked to Megan Gustafson. Officers walked away and shortly after, they heard an argument coming from inside the apartment.

Court documents say officers saw the door open; Gustafson was standing in the doorway with her back toward the street and Abdullahi was facing her. Officers heard a single gunshot, heard Gustafson scream, and then saw her run into the lawn and fall to the ground.

Abdullahi walked out of the apartment holding a handgun, according to court documents. Officers were able to detain Abdullahi without incident.

Police say Gustafson had a gunshot wound in the chin/neck area. They tried to save her, but she later died at Altru Hospital.

Court documents also say the handgun found at the scene was reported stolen from a vehicle in Grand Forks in September 2020. Abdullahi is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm due to a felony terrorizing conviction in Grand Forks County in March 2021.