A 22-year-old Brooklyn Center man has pleaded guilty in connection with a drive-by shooting that left an aspiring college football player paralyzed from the knees down, under a deal that could cap his jail time at just 180 days. Osman Hi Kamara filed a petition for a guilty plea on Nov. 3 in Hennepin County District Court, admitting to aiding and abetting second-degree assault.
According to FOX 9, the reported plea arrangement calls for a stayed sentence of 36 months and a jail cap of 180 days. The deal still requires court approval, and Kamara would have the right to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial if the court does not sign off on it. Kamara was charged along with three other men in connection with the shooting, the station reported.
A Late-Night Shooting on Garwood Road
The shooting happened on May 29, 2025, around 12:30 a.m., when Brooklyn Park officers responded to a report of gunfire on the 6000 block of Garwood Road North. Michael Blidi Jr. suffered a gunshot wound to his lower back and said he could not feel his legs, according to charges filed in court and cited by the station. Doctors later determined he had multiple fractures to his spine and large bullet fragments inside his spinal canal, per those same charges.
Court charges say Blidi identified two masked men, later identified as Harris and Kamara, as having driven by and fired at the group. CBS Minnesota, in its own account of the case, reported that it remains unclear who actually fired the shots that struck Blidi.
An Alleged Basketball-Court Grudge
The charges outline a possible motive rooted in an earlier dispute. A few days before the shooting, Blidi was involved in an altercation with a couple of men during a basketball game that ultimately led to him punching one of them, according to the charging documents. One of the men involved communicated on social media on May 28, 2025, saying he would take care of it, the charges state. Blidi believed the shooting that followed was retaliation for that fight, per the charges.
A Scholarship Put on Hold
Before the shooting, Blidi had a full scholarship to play football at Iowa Central, according to a GoFundMe post set up to help with his recovery. He is also the brother of NFL defensive tackle Philip Blidi, who has played for the Tennessee Titans. At the time of the FOX 9 report, the GoFundMe campaign had gathered around $16,500 toward its $30,000 goal, though that figure reflects only a snapshot at the time of reporting rather than a current total.
The case remains pending in Hennepin County as the court weighs whether to approve the plea agreement. Kamara's willingness to plead guilty does not resolve the broader case against the other men charged in connection with the shooting, and no further sentencing details have been reported.
