The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman who died from a gunshot wound in Horace, North Dakota, as 23-year-old Sakeena Khaadi.
The heartbreaking incident occurred just before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, at an apartment located at 7994 Jacks Way. Authorities were called to the scene after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting the shooting, prompting an immediate and large-scale emergency response.
According to Sheriff Jesse Jahner, several people were inside the apartment when the shooting took place. The Red River Regional Dispatch Center received four separate emergency calls from witnesses as the situation unfolded.
“There were a lot of pieces of information coming in to us and the situation was rapidly evolving,” Jahner explained. “We had a number of people who witnessed things and saw different things. It takes time to get there, start life-saving measures, and ensure the scene is secure.”
When deputies arrived, they found Sakeena Khaadi in the hallway of the apartment complex. Despite the best efforts of two women who performed CPR and other life-saving measures before first responders arrived, Khaadi was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her boyfriend, 21-year-old Derrick Lobbo, was arrested shortly after the shooting. Authorities say Lobbo initially fled the apartment and went to the Sanford Horace Clinic seeking help. Witnesses later saw him yelling and running down the street back toward the apartment complex, where he was taken into custody by deputies.
Lobbo is currently being held at the Cass County Jail on charges of reckless endangerment, child neglect, and two outstanding warrants. However, Cass County State’s Attorney Kim Hegvik confirmed that formal charges related directly to the shooting have not yet been filed.
“He’s being held, however we haven’t filed formal charges yet,” Hegvik stated. “We expect that formal charges will be filed at some point, but we want to make sure that we are fully reviewing the entire investigation to get it right.”
In a particularly distressing detail, authorities revealed that Lobbo’s two-year-old child was inside the apartment at the time of the shooting and was found near a firearm. The child was unharmed and has since been placed in the care of Lobbo’s family members.
As the situation unfolded, a Cass Clay Alert was issued to warn nearby residents, although Sheriff Jahner noted that some individuals may not have received the notification. He urged residents to sign up for future alerts through the county’s official website to stay informed during emergencies.
Investigators believe the shooting was an isolated incident, posing no further danger to the public. The case remains under active investigation by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the County Coroner’s Office, and the State’s Attorney’s Office.
