Ron Hocevar

I was so pleased attend Hero’s Hub hosted by the New Prague American Legion Auxiliary!
It was a wonderful event filled with community, appreciation, and support for our heroes and their families. Grateful for the chance to participate and for all the hard work the Auxiliary put into making it such a meaningful day. Hero's Hub mission is to give back to the men and women who served our country.
Thank you, American Legion post 45 New Prague, MN Auxiliary — events like this truly make a difference! 🇺🇸
Pictured with some of the ladies of the Auxiliary and retired Savage Police Chief Rodney Seurer.

September 29, 2026; Shakopee, Minnesota -- Today, Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar announced that a grand jury has formally indicted Mohamed Abdirizak Rage (DOB: 6/7/1997) on the charge of first degree premeditated murder in the May 27, 2026 killing of Khalid Abdi.

“In taking in all of the facts of this incident,” Hocevar stated, “the grand jury rightly found sufficient probable cause to indict Rage on one of the most serious of charges possible. I thank them for their serious deliberation, their assessment of the facts as presented, and their service to the public.”

Incident details
On May 27 of this year, Officers from the Shakopee Police Department were dispatched to the site after a report of weapons violation. Upon arriving on the scene, the responding officers learned that an individual had been shot, and the shooter had fled the scene.

The victim – Khalid Abdi – was transported to Hennepin Healthcare (formerly Hennepin County Medical Center, and later died as a result of the gunshot wound to his torso.

The homicide took place at Canterbury Park Expo Center in Shakopee, where a number of people – including Abdi’s wife, herself a witness to the shooting -- had been gathered for a private prayer service. The victim’s wife was able to provide an account of what had occurred both before and during the shooting, stating that Rage had threatened to fight the victim. Abdi responded by asking Rage to leave him alone and that he “didn’t want to fight.” However, a physical altercation ensued, which was broken up by bystanders.

Following that interaction, Abdi and his wife proceeded to walk through the venue’s parking lot, and Rage followed them – and according to her statement, Abdi tried to run before being shot.

Surveillance footage and other statements gathered by Shakopee Police appeared to corroborate this account.

Rage turned himself in to the Shakopee Police Department on May 28, 2026.

Statement from the County Attorney
“The fact that this homicide occurred immediately following a sacred service that celebrates community values of peace, charity, and togetherness makes this murder particularly heinous,” said County Attorney Hocevar after the indictment was unsealed. “And shooting an unarmed, fleeing person is simply unconscionable. The entire community, not the least of whom is Mr. Abdi’s widow, has been traumatized by this murder.”

Bail has been set at $5 million with conditions; $6.5 million without.

I am truly honored to be part of Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. Our mission is to establish and sustain a comprehensive community support network that connects and coordinates agencies, organizations, and resources to meet the needs of Minnesota’s military veterans, service members, and their families.
On Monday September 14 I had the privilege of helping raise funds at our annual fundraiser held at Stonebrooke Golf Club. It was inspiring to see our community come together in support of those who serve and have served.
Grateful for everyone who showed up, donated, and made the day such a success. Together we continue to make a real difference.

My opponent states that the Scott County Veterans Court no longer exists and that Drug Court will no longer exist at the end of this year.
Again, my opponent should really research the office he wants to lead.
Let’s start with Drug Court.
An independent evaluation was conducted comparing the outcomes of Drug Court with the outcomes of an intensive probation program through Community Corrections. The results were nearly identical.
When Drug Court was first implemented, it was a great idea. At that time, Community Corrections did not have the resources and programs it has today. But things have changed. Community Corrections now has the ability to provide services that allow defendants to achieve the same outcomes they could through Drug Court—while doing so at a substantial savings to taxpayers.
The decision to discontinue Drug Court was not made by me alone. The Judiciary, Community Corrections, and the County Commissioners all agreed to provide the same outcomes of Drug Court through the intensive probation services of Community Corrections.
My opponent says he will bring Drug Court back. If that is his position, he will need to explain to the Judiciary, Community Corrections, the County Commissioners, and ultimately the taxpayers why he wants to reinstate a program that costs more money without producing better outcomes. That is not responsible leadership.
And then there is Veterans Court.
My opponent's statement that Veterans Court no longer exists is simply a lie. In fact, Veterans Court has expanded significantly. Scott County is now part of the First Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court, which encompasses every county in the First Judicial District. This collaborative approach allows us to serve many more veterans than we could through a Scott County-only program.
The two physical locations where Veterans Court takes place are Dakota County and Scott County.
So once again, the facts tell a very different story than my opponent's claims.
We should be having a serious discussion about how to best serve veterans, address substance use, hold defendants accountable, and use taxpayer dollars responsibly. But that discussion needs to be grounded in facts and an understanding of how the office and our justice system actually operate.
If my opponent wants to lead this office, he should start by doing his homework not by making claims that I disbanded two treatment courts. Nothing could be further from the truth.

**Honored to be endorsed by the attorneys who work in this office.**

Had the opportunity to thank the Prior Lake Savage Optimist Club for their generous donation to the Scott County Public Safety Foundation / Choose Not To Use.
We shared about CNTU and our ongoing commitment to helping young people make positive choices while understanding the real consequences of the decisions they face. The Optimist Club and CNTU make a natural partnership—both are deeply focused on supporting youth.
Since their founding in 1978, the Prior Lake-Savage Optimist Club has raised and distributed more than $1,000,000 to youth programs. Their work is funded through charitable gambling, club events, and individual contributions. Their motto says it all: “Bringing out the best in Kids.”
The club meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at Rhino Bar in downtown Prior Lake. Everyone is welcome.

Pictured is their president Anita Drentlaw.

We were proud to present a $5,000 check from the Scott County Public Safety Foundation / CNTU to the Lakers Alano Society in support of their relocation to a fully accessible facility.

The Lakers Alano Society provides vital meeting space for independent recovery groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Overeaters Anonymous, and G.R.O.W. (Grateful Recovery of Women). For years, their current second-floor location—reachable only by a long, steep staircase with no elevator—has kept elderly members, those recovering from physical injuries, and people with disabilities from attending the meetings that support their recovery.

A new ADA-compliant facility will remove these barriers and ensure everyone in our community who seeks recovery support can fully participate.

We’re honored to help make this important step toward greater accessibility possible.

Pictured are: Kyle Haugen, Christy Funk, Selena Mendolia, Doug Schnurr, Myself, Jodene Wartman, Tim Mulcrone, Synna Keepseagle.

Choose Not To Use

My opponent in this upcoming election has criticized this office's conviction rates for domestic assaults, but offers no meaningful analysis of what those numbers actually mean. That is not surprising from someone who has never done this work.
Let’s look at the facts.
From 2021 through 2025:
• Felony Domestic Assault: My office had a 36.18% conviction rate, compared to 29.68% for the First Judicial District.
• Gross Misdemeanor Domestic Assault: My office had a 19% conviction rate, compared to 20% for the First Judicial District.
• Misdemeanor Domestic Assault: My office had a 23% conviction rate, compared to 19% for the First Judicial District.

These numbers are a starting point, but they do not, by themselves, tell us what ultimately happened in an individual case or why a particular charge was reduced, dismissed, or resolved through an alternative disposition.
For example, if an individual is charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor assault, that person may plead guilty to the felony as part of a negotiated resolution, with the misdemeanor assault charge dismissed. Looking only at the dismissal of the assault charge would give you an incomplete—and potentially very misleading—picture of the outcome.
Domestic assault cases are among the most difficult cases to prosecute. They involve complicated relationships, heightened emotions, reluctant or fearful victims, and significant consequences for everyone involved. All these factors impact a victim’s willingness to cooperate in the process and therefore has an impact on the prosecution. This office pursues “evidence based” prosection (prosecution without a victim), whenever the evidence is sufficient to do so and we have been very successful in those prosecutions.
A conviction rate alone cannot capture the work that goes into these cases or the many factors that influence how a case is ultimately resolved.
I am proud of this office’s record and our aggressive approach to prosecuting domestic assaults. Just as importantly, I am proud of the support we provide to victims through our outstanding Victim/Witness Division. My opponent again fails to do basic research on the office he wants to lead. He states that this office only has three victim advocates. This office currently has five victim advocates who do an exemplary job taking care of victims and providing the support and services they need.
We don't just count cases. We work to achieve the best possible outcomes while holding offenders accountable and supporting victims through an incredibly difficult process.
If my opponent wants to criticize this office’s performance, he should first understand what the numbers actually measure—and what they don't.
The public deserves more than statistics without context. They deserve the facts.
Source: District Court Criminal Charges Data - Court Statistics and Reports

Had a wonderful evening Charlie's on Prior for Tip-A-Cop! Officers from the City of Prior Lake - Government Police Department and Scott County Sheriff's Office were out serving guests and collecting tips to support Special Olympics Minnesota.
Even better was getting to meet so many incredible athletes and hear about their achievements in their sports. Grateful for nights like this that bring the community together for a great cause.

Special Olympics Minnesota Law Enforcement Torch Run

We had another great day at Legends Club for the 19th Annual Tee It Up For The Task Force annual fundraiser. Choose Not To Use (CNTU) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and preventing substance abuse in K-12 children as well as citizens of Scott County. This organization is run through my office and is committed to reducing the financial burden substance abuse creates on users, law enforcement, schools, government agencies and families. Please see Choosenottouse.org for more information and what we have recently done in our community.
Special thanks to the golfers, the volunteers, and all our sponsors for making this event so special and successful. And of course so much gratitude for Jessica Schoenwald, my Crime and Drug Prevention Coordinator who makes CNTU and this fund raiser run so efficiently and successfully.