A federal jury in Minneapolis has found Firomsa A. Umar guilty of hurling two Molotov cocktail-style incendiary devices at Fletcher’s Ice Cream & Café in Northeast Minneapolis on consecutive nights last fall. The October 19 and 20, 2025 attacks shattered a front window and scorched the storefront and sidewalk but, by sheer luck, did not injure anyone. Umar was arrested after the second late-night incident and later charged in federal court on arson-related counts.
Jurors returned their verdict on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, according to MPR News, which reported that court filings included photos from the U.S. Attorney’s Office showing charred damage from the first attack. The decision caps a federal probe that pulled together work by Minneapolis officers and ATF investigators and laid it out in front of the jury.
Federal Charges And Case Background
Prosecutors charged Umar with arson, attempted arson and possession of unregistered destructive devices after investigators say he tossed incendiary bottles through Fletcher’s windows on October 19 and 20, 2025. Investigators pointed to witnesses and surveillance footage that highlighted a light-blue minivan tied to the suspect, and officers later reported finding a red gasoline can inside that vehicle, according to the Star Tribune.
Evidence Presented At Trial
At trial, federal prosecutors told jurors they would rely on testimony from ATF and fire investigators and introduce surveillance video, cellphone GPS data placing Umar near Fletcher’s, and physical items such as a gas can and a Styrofoam-filled bottle that investigators said matched a Molotov-type device, FOX 9 reported. The government’s trial brief also flagged an earlier incident in which Umar is alleged to have spray-painted homophobic graffiti, which prosecutors argued helped explain a possible motive.
Owner And Neighborhood Reaction
In the weeks after the attacks, owner Jason Fletcher and his neighbors turned the damage into a rallying point, with customers and supporters crowding the sidewalk once charges were filed. Fletcher told KTTC the incidents gave him “an opportunity to spread peace and love” and said he was “not going to be in a closet,” according to LGBTQ Nation. A prominent Pride flag outside the shop and steady community turnout kept attention fixed on the case through the investigation and into the courtroom.
Legal Stakes And Next Steps
Federal arson laws can carry mandatory minimums and potential maximum sentences that stretch into decades when prosecutors show that property affecting interstate commerce was targeted, and possession of an unregistered destructive device under the National Firearms Act typically carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years, according to federal guidance and legal analyses from the Congressional Research Service and the ATF. As MPR News noted, no sentencing date had appeared yet in public court records. The case now returns to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will prepare for the sentencing phase.
