NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the defense attorney for an 18-year-old arrested last week for a deadly shooting involving his brother said on Wednesday that charges have been dropped.
The teen, Ameen Farraj, was arraigned in Rocky River Municipal Court last week for the Sept. 16 shooting of his brother, Abdullah Farraj, on Lucydale Avenue in North Olmsted. This week, Ameen was released from county jail after the murder charge was dismissed.
Ameen, in an issued statement, said he is thankful for the support of the community but will forever miss his brother.
"First and foremost, I want to thank God, my family and my community for standing with me through this horrible time. I have felt the love and support, including from so many people online, and I am grateful for every bit of it.
The loss of my brother will be with me forever. That day will be with me forever. I will always wonder what our lives would have been if Abdallah had not been suffering from mental illness. I still hear his voice. We knew my brother before he got sick, and that is the brother I will remember. I pray that my family heals from this and carries forward the memory of who he truly was.
I pray to God Almighty for mercy on my brother, and for peace and healing for my family.
I also thank everyone who has helped show what truly happened that day. I am not a murderer. I was trying to protect my family, as I always will.
I ask everyone to respect our privacy and allow us to grieve and heal as we move forward," the statement read."
WATCH OUR INITIAL COVERAGE OF THE SHOOTING:
Last week, North Olmsted Police said Ameen Farraj shot his 22-year-old brother one time in the stomach and chest area. The older sibling later died at a nearby hospital.
On a 911 call, Farraj told the operator that he shot his brother and described the scene that unfolded.
"Someone just got shot. They were trying to attack somebody," Farraj added. "My brother was trying to attack my mother.”
In another 911 call, a girl who said she was Farraj's sister also described what led to the shooting.
"My brother hit my mom, and he got shot," adding that the younger brother was looking out for them. "He was protecting me and my mother and my cousin," the caller said.
Farraj was initially held on a $1 million bond, but with the charges being dropped, his attorney anticipates he will be released from jail.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office tells News 5 its Self Defense Committee reviewed the current evidence available and determined it would not have been able to meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Ameen Farraj was not acting in self defense.
