Violent crime has rocked our community and region!

The Facts:

In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 3, Fargo experienced its first homicide in nearly nine months. At about 2:00 a.m., downtown on Broadway, outside District 64, a bar with a disproportionately high number of police calls in recent years, the first murder occurred. 

Police were in the area during bar close time when shots rang out. They located three gunshot victims. One of those victims, Azeem Holmes, 19, died of his injuries, while a second victim suffered critical injuries, and a third suffered non-fatal injuries.

Kengi Moses, 24, was seen running from the area of the victims carrying a firearm, but is not reportedly believed to have been the shooter. Moses was arrested after a chase and has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Tyrque Jones, 20, was identified as the shooter and has been charged with Holmes’ murder. Jones remains at large at the time of this writing.

That shooting, involving a large unruly crowd, three victims, a fleeing armed suspect, and the identification of a shooter who fled the scene, is a chaotic, resource-draining, and time-consuming incident. But the night was only about to get more chaotic for the Fargo PD and assisting agencies.

At 2:30 a.m., on the 4700 block of 16th Ave S, near the Westwood Estates apartments, a call came in reporting another shooting. West Fargo Police responded at the request of Fargo PD, which was tied up at the downtown murder. West Fargo officers located Elijah Hughes, 20, outside the apartment complex, dead from a gunshot.

C’Aundre Douglas, 20, was identified as a suspect in Hughes’ murder and later arrested and eventually charged with Hughes’ murder. Douglas has also been charged with two violent incidents from July, including what sounds like an attempted carjacking where shots were fired downtown, and a drive-by shooting where Douglas fired 12 rounds into a crowd, striking one person in the leg.

The two murders have been linked to an ongoing feud between two groups of individuals, according to the Fargo PD.

While police were trying to deal with these two violent and chaotic incidents, a third, unrelated assault of a 55-year-old victim occurred downtown. Cass County sheriff’s deputies responded and handled this incident. The victim was in critical condition the night of the assault. Two suspects were being sought. No further information is known at this time.

The fallout:

When events so catastrophic and rare occur in our state and region, it’s natural for the public to be concerned. The concern has been so great, in fact, that attention has largely been deflected from the pursuit of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to the speed of reports by city officials to the public, in their wake.

No news conference was called on Sunday, the day of the overnight shootings. A community and region stirred, with little information about the status of the event or the pursuit of those who committed the crimes. This led to understandable unrest. Fueled by criticism from some city commissioners and the news media, it has shifted attention to the Fargo Police Department and its Chief, David Zibolski.

Fixing the blame — fair or misplaced?

Should public ire following such catastrophic events be focused upon the violent criminals? Should their capture and their being brought to justice be foremost in the public’s mind? Should support for the law enforcement officials pursuing them be widespread and palpable, as the investigation and pursuit continue?

One would think so, but that’s not what has captured recent headlines. Instead, it’s been criticism of the Police Chief and the city’s delay in calling a press conference, which did not occur until Monday, well over 24 hours after the crimes had been committed.

At that press conference, Chief Zibolski appeared flippant, dismissive, sarcastic and, at times, irritated and arrogant. That’s no way for a Police Chief to behave, and both the media and some city leaders smelled blood in the water — not the Mayor, however, at least not at first. 

Mayor Tim Mahoney then seemed to back the Chief and defend the delay, when questioned on the matter, noting that he discussed whether to have a Sunday press conference but that the Chief discouraged it, noting that not much information was yet available and that doing so at that time may have disrupted the investigation into the crimes.

The Mayor’s tone has, however, taken a major shift in succeeding days as criticism over the delay has mounted. He’s recently said that he intends to have a private discussion with the Chief and hinted that his job could be in jeopardy. The Mayor, surprisingly, has received little criticism or second guessing about his initial agreement with the delay and his abrupt about face. Instead, the ire of the media and some city leaders has been solely focused squarely on Zibolski.

The day after the press conference, Zibolski backtracked, apologizing and admitting that his behavior lacked the professionalism and demeanor it should have exhibited. Plans also appear to be in the works to ensure that such delays in public information do not occur in the future.

So, where does this leave us?

Taking a step back and seeking a more holistic view

Perhaps delaying a press conference was a bad idea. In 20-20 hindsight, it certainly appears so. The Chief’s performance at the press conference, when called a day later, probably couldn’t have been worse, but he has apologized and regrouped. 

Many continue to call for his head. Is it justified?

What does the “big picture” show?

Some allege unrest within the ranks in the Department. Others point out that some of Fargo PD’s top leadership who’ve worked under the Chief’s supervision have left for greener pastures. Is that his fault? Certainly, this is one of the questions city leaders will ask.

For a balanced perspective, however, one must also look back over his years in the job. Despite recent events, most objective assessments would agree that the Fargo PD has been solid under Chief Zibolski’s leadership. One need look back no further than July 2023, when the Chief and others simultaneously led the community through the grieving process following the ambush murder of Officer Jake Wallin and the attempted murders of two other officers, while also leading the investigation into the tragic event.

Largely unreported is the fact that, once the critical facts about the recent events were assembled, releases (including assurances that there was no known threat to the public) did go out to the media and the public via multiple avenues. This occurred just 8 hours into a very complex investigation, and the day before the press conference was eventually held.

Chief Zibolski would probably be the first to admit that some of the irritation and defensiveness he displayed at the August 4 press conference in response to media questioning was ill-advised — so it would seem from his subsequent acknowledgement and apology. 

The Chief’s future is to be determined, perhaps within hours of this writing, but the community should shift its focus.

We should refocus our anger where it belongs — on the groups that have brazenly perpetrated crimes of violence in the streets of Fargo and who have resorted to gunfire to resolve their disputes. 

We should refocus our questions — perhaps to establishments that cater to and attract those who perpetrate the violence we witnessed on August 3. Those who are no stranger to controversy should be part of a meaningful discussion about this and how to avoid this pattern of events in the future.

We must stand united against this violence and support our police as they work to create a safe environment throughout Fargo — one where would-be criminals are afraid to walk the streets. Focusing our ire on the police chief over an episode of irritation may be an unhelpful distraction.

If there is more to the story that we aren’t aware of, then let’s hear it. If not, do calls for Chief Zibolski’s resignation and threats of his firing help set the proper tone in Fargo? — one where law-abiding citizens feel safe to go about their business, and criminals cower in fear?

Whatever the Chief’s future, let’s not forget to focus on these, the most important things. Let’s support those who put their lives on the line to protect us every day. Let’s work together so we can return ours to the safe community and state we’ve known and appreciated for so long.