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Mohamed Hussein Abdi: Outrage as BLM protester who tried to set school on fire gets no jail time

Right-wing supporters are outraged as Mohamed Hussein Abdi, 20, has been sentenced to only five years of probation and no jail time

ST PAUL, MINNESOTA: A Minnesota man convicted of trying to set a school on fire during the Black Lives Matter riots has been sentenced to only five years of probation and no jail time. Mohamed Hussein Abdi, 20, was sentenced on Thursday, February 3, in a US District Court in St Paul, Minnesota. In addition, Abdi was ordered to pay around $34,000 for damages sustained by the Gordon Parks High School in St Paul where he committed the offense. 

The ruling sparked an uproar among people, particularly right-wingers, who accused the court of partiality and bias. "I thought Justice was blind, impartial? Leniency for BLM rioters, No Justice for Jan 6 Protestors. Mohamed Hussein Abdi gets 5 years PROBATION while Jan 6 Protestors can’t even get bail for no violence. MN had $500M in damages from BLM riots," a user tweeted. 

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Who is Mohamed Hussein Abdi?

In May 2020, George Floyd's brutal custodial death prompted the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. Minnesota, in particular, witnessed riots breaking out in places during the protest movement. In June 2020, Mohamed Hussein Abedi was arrested for attempting to set fire to Gordon Parks High School in St Paul.

Security footage caught Abdi entering the high school through a broken glass door and then pouring liquid from a white container onto the floor and a trash can. The liquid appeared to be inflammable as Abdi then proceeded to soak a garment in the same and light it on fire. He then set fire to the trash can and fled as the flames began to spread through the school premises. 

Following trial, Abdi pleaded guilty to his charges of conspiracy to commit arson. He was then sentenced by the veteran judge David S Doty, who was appointed by Reagan decades back. According to court documents, Abdi's sentence was "imposed pursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984.”

However, his sentence was considered lenient and biased by many, especially since he was ordered zero jail time. "Mohamed Hussein Abdi sentenced to ZERO prison time and 5 years probation yesterday on federal conspiracy to commit arson charges. Abdi admitted to setting fires in Gordon Parks High School in St. Paul during the 2020 George Floyd #riots," a user tweeted. 

Another user noted, "On Thursday, Mohamed Hussein Abdi - convicted of trying to set fire to a school during the Minneapolis George Floyd riots - received probation, no jail time. On Friday, the next day, the National Guard was summoned to deal with potential violence following the Amir Locke death."

A third Conservative supporter noted, "Mohamed Hussein Abdi did worse than those on #January6th . Yet look at him. Names matter folks. #Democrats are not for #Americans anymore. The enemy sits in the White House." Meanwhile, a fourth person slammed the ruling, tweeting, "Mohamed Hussein Abdi" just saying. Wait until he kills multiple people, i guess the judge will say he's trying to change and give him 10 days in jail."