A Minneapolis man who caused a high-speed crash that killed five young women in 2023 was sentenced Thursday to 704 months in prison, following a jury’s guilty verdict last month.
The crash occurred on June 16, 2023, when Thompson fled a traffic stop at high speed and slammed into a vehicle carrying five young women who were returning from a day at a mosque. All five died at the scene. They were later identified as 17-year-old Sabiriin Mahamoud Ali, 19-year-old Siham Ada Odhowa, 20-year-old Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20-year-old Sagal Burhaan Hersi, and 20-year-old Salma Mohamed Abdikadir.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office described Thompson’s driving conduct as “egregious,” citing the fact that he had previously been convicted in California for a similar offense that left another person critically injured. Despite that, prosecutors said Thompson again made the choice to flee at extreme speeds, blowing through a red light at more than 90 miles per hour and striking the victims’ vehicle in a heavily trafficked area of Lake Street East and Blaisdell Avenue in Minneapolis.
