Edmonds Police arrest suspect in the murder of a rideshare driver
Jan 11, 2024, 7:30 AM
Abdikadir Gedi Shariif (Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Edmonds Police Department announced Wednesday it made an arrest Wednesday in the Jan. 3 murder of rideshare driver Abdikadir Gedi Shariif.
The department stated on its social media channels that they detained a 21-year-old Edmonds man Wednesday afternoon.
#UPDATE
Today at approximately 2:30pm, a 21-year-old Edmonds man was taken into custody for the January 3rd murder of Mr. Abdikadir Gedi Shariif. The investigation is still active, and more details will be released when appropriate. pic.twitter.com/qPHBBKa5fk— Edmonds Police Department (@EdmondsPolice) January 11, 2024
Edmonds Police confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, Wednesday night the suspect who was arrested has been booked into the Snohomish County Jail for second-degree murder. Additional details will be released Thursday morning and a media briefing will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Edmonds Police Department building on 5th Avenue in Downtown Edmonds.
Witnesses helped investigators determine the gunman was in a crosswalk at 10:15 p.m. on the night of Jan. 3 and that there was no obvious altercation or connection between the two men the night of the shooting.
Shariif, who lived in SeaTac, had just dropped off a customer in Edmonds and was making a left turn at the corner of 236th Street SW and Edmonds Way when he encountered a man in the crosswalk on the night of the shooting.
“This could have been anyone making a left-hand turn, any of our family members. And for whatever reason, this individual cowardly displayed a gun and opened fire for no reason,” Edmonds Police Department Commander Josh McClure said.
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Edmonds Police say the man fired multiple shots into Shariif’s car, killing him, then ran away.
“This type of incident shakes a community, and it is difficult for all of us to fathom,” Edmonds Police Chief Michelle Bennett said in a previous statement, according to multiple outlets.”
KIRO 7 notes Shariif was a member of the Abubakr Islamic Center in Tukwila and it held a funeral for Shariif last week.
Two of Shariif’s siblings recently spoke to Fox 13 about their brother.
“He always told me to always stand up for what I believe in, and to always be kind,” Shariif’s younger sister, Umueyaman Shariif said.
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The victim’s younger brother described his grief to the outlet in his own statement.
“I’m sad, broken,” Abdirahman Shariif, said. “I lost my older brother and am fully devastated.”
The investigation remains active. Anyone who has information about this incident or the suspect should call 800-222-TIPS or email policetips@edmondswa.gov.
Contributing: Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest
You can read more of James Lynch’s stories here. Follow James on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email him here.
