Man convicted in hate-motivated firebombing of NE Minneapolis ice cream shop
Firomsa Ahmed Umar was convicted by a Minneapolis jury of arson, attempted arson and two counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device for October 2025 Molotov cocktail attacks on Fletcher's Ice Cream and Cafe in northeast Minneapolis. Prosecutors said the two consecutive-night firebombing attempts — one that ignited and was extinguished by bystanders and a second that failed to light properly — were tied to the shop's public display of a Pride flag and deemed hate-motivated.
📌 Key Facts
- A Minneapolis jury convicted Firomsa Ahmed Umar of arson, attempted arson, and two counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device for October 2025 Molotov cocktail attacks at Fletcher's Ice Cream and Cafe in NE Minneapolis (reporting dated April 10, 2026).
- The attacks involved two Molotov cocktails thrown at the cafe on consecutive nights.
- One Molotov cocktail ignited and was extinguished by bystanders; the second device failed to ignite properly.
- Authorities tied the attacks to the business’s public display of a Pride flag, characterizing the incidents as hate‑motivated.
- The targeted business was Fletcher's Ice Cream and Cafe, a Northeast Minneapolis ice cream shop that had publicly displayed a Pride flag.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2024, Minnesota reported 225 bias-motivated incidents, an increase from 209 in 2023.
Violent crime in Minnesota held steady in 2024, report finds — Bring Me The News
As of 2025, Minnesota's Somali population is estimated at 107,000, representing about 2% of the state's population.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to census data — KTTC
LGBT people are nine times more likely to experience violent hate crimes than non-LGBT people, based on 2022 and 2023 National Crime Victimization Survey data.
Anti-LGBT Victimization in the United States — Williams Institute
In 2024, there were 2,700 hate crime offenses targeting individuals due to their sexual orientation or gender identity nationally.
Anti-LGBTQ hate crimes persisted in 2024: FBI data — Gay City News
Somali American LGBTQ+ individuals often experience identity conflicts, feeling neither fully queer nor fully Somali due to cultural and religious influences.
Neither Fully Queer Nor Somali? — Cornerstone (Minnesota State University)
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Alpha News confirms the same core facts: that a Minneapolis jury convicted Firomsa Ahmed Umar of arson, attempted arson, and two counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device for the October 2025 Molotov cocktail attacks on Fletcher's Ice Cream and Cafe.
- The article emphasizes that the attacks were tied to the business’s public display of a Pride flag, reinforcing the hate‑motivated nature of the crime.
- It reiterates that two separate firebombing attempts occurred on consecutive nights, with one device igniting and being extinguished by bystanders and the second failing to light properly.