Woman fatally shot in Minneapolis sought court protection from suspect weeks earlier

A 50-year-old man was booked into the Hennepin County jail Monday on suspicion that a day earlier he fatally shot a woman who alleged in a court filing that he pistol-whipped her and threatened to harm others in her family a few weeks earlier.

Mariah Rosanna Samuels, 34, was identified Monday by her family as the victim of the shooting in the 1400 block of Russell Avenue N. The officers arrived at the home about 7:50 a.m. and rendered aid to Samuels, but she died at the scene, according to a police statement.

The suspect shooter fled before officers arrived, but police caught up to him and booked him into jail about 3 a.m., according to jail records.

Simone Hunter said her sister leaves behind two sons, ages 18 and under, who “thankfully, no, there were not there” when their mother was shot.

On Aug. 26, Samuels petitioned Hennepin County District Court for an order for protection from the former boyfriend for herself and her 11-year-old son. The filing alleged a harrowing sequence of events in the wake of Samuels breaking up with the suspect by phone. The man was given a copy of the petition on Aug. 29, according to court records.

The man, seeing that Samuels was not home on Aug. 21, “called me [while] outside my home to drop off a gift,” her account began. He then threatened in texts to blow up the house, where her father also lives, the filing continued.

He tracked her to a home a couple blocks away where Samuels was dropping the son off, met her outside and “proceeded to hit me with his hand and the gun in my face and upper body,” the petition read.

Samuels explained in the filing that the suspect was attempting to knock her phone out of her hand while speaking to her best friend, who was calling 911 on her behalf.

She added that the encounter left her with a knot and scratches on her head and bruises on her collarbone and legs.

The suspect remains jailed pending charges. The Minnesota Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Daniel Borgertpoepping, spokesman for the County Attorney’s Office, said Monday that Minneapolis police did not forward a case for consideration of charges stemming from the August assault. The Minnesota Star Tribune has asked police to explain why no case was forwarded.

“The death of Mariah Samuels is devastating, and our thoughts are with her family,” Borgertpoepping said. “We will thoroughly review the evidence for charging when this case is submitted to us, and we are committed to seeking accountability for this horrible crime.”

For anyone in Minnesota experiencing domestic or intimate partner abuse, Violence Free Minnesota recommends contacting the 24/7 Minnesota Day One Hotline. Call 866-223-1111 or text 612-399-9995. The hotline serves anyone experiencing sexual violence, domestic violence, general crime or trafficking.

An earlier shooting Sunday in the city left one man dead and another wounded, police said.

Officers responding to a ShotSpotter activation at 1:49 a.m. in the 1500 block of E. Lake Street and found a man with gunshot wounds, police said. He was taken by emergency medical responders to HCMC, where he was pronounced dead.

A second man with gunshot wounds from the same incident showed up at the hospital separately, with apparent non-life threatening injuries, police said. No arrests have been announced in connection with this shooting.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the man who died as 30-year-old Jamal Brandan Smith. The office said he was from Minnesota but did not offer a city of residence.

“In recent weeks, our city has seen far too much senseless violence in a short period of time,” read a statement from Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “The Minneapolis Police Department will continue to work urgently to hold those responsible accountable, but we cannot do that alone. I urge anyone who knows something about these heinous acts to come forward and help us stop the violence.”

There have been 47 homicides in Minneapolis this year, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune data base. That compares with 57 at this time last year in the city.

Anyone with information about either homicide Sunday is urged to contact police at policetips@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-5845. Those wanting to remain anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.