Updated at 5 p.m. with additional details from a Thursday afternoon press conference.
Edmonds police are asking for the public’s help in finding the man suspected of fatally shooting a 31-year-old ride-share driver late Wednesday night in Edmonds.
The shooting was reported at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of 236th Street Southwest and Edmonds Way. The driver, Abdikadir Gedi Shariif from SeaTac, was traveling east on 236th Street and was making a left turn to head south onto Edmonds Way and toward the male suspect — a pedestrian crossing the street in a crosswalk from east to west on Edmonds Way. The pedestrian shot the driver in what multiple witnesses described as “a happenstance encounter,” Edmonds police spokesperson Commander Josh McClure said.
“It appears that this was two people that just crossed paths and for whatever reason, the pedestrian decided to open fire,” he said, adding that police estimate that approximately 10-11 rounds were fired during the encounter. “We have no current information about any previous relationship.”
Arriving officers “were getting multiple reports of a person firing a handgun into a vehicle,” McClure said during a Thursday afternoon press conference. “The vehicle had careened off the roadway and the suspect had fled on foot.” Shariif was found inside the vehicle in critical condition. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center but later died of his injuries.
The suspect was last seen on foot headed eastbound on 236th. He is described as white or Hispanic, in his teens to early 20s, with curly dark hair, wearing a hoody and all black clothing. K-9 units and drones were also dispatched in a search for the suspect, but he was not located. The suspect should be considered armed and dangerous, McClure said.
Detectives interviewed several eyewitnesses and collected evidence, including some video footage. The public is encouraged to submit any relevant home surveillance or doorbell camera footage that could help identify the suspect.
“This person came from somewhere and went somewhere else,” McClure said, adding that police hope that someone will recognize the suspect. “This happened too randomly for someone not to realize, ‘I heard a bunch of sirens randomly after somebody left my house.'”
“Our number-one priority is locating the suspect and bringing them to justice,” McClure said. “This is incredibly difficult for the family of the victim that’s having to go through this, so now we need to do our part and we need the community’s help. We know somebody out there knows something.”
“Check your surveillance,” he said. “Tell your neighbors, tell your friends to look at their stuff.”
As for the suspect, “please come turn yourself in,” McClure said. “You have a side of the story. Now it’s time to least tell your side of the story, and we’ll figure everything out from there.”
In an interview earlier Thursday, McClure said that police “believe there is a danger to the community based on the suspect’s action.” Anyone with information on the suspect or the incident is asked to call 911, or you can contact police by emailing policetips@edmondswa.gov.
“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 statement. “We are aggressively pursuing the person responsible for this senseless killing, and we will work tirelessly to get them off the streets to face justice. We know someone knows the suspect or knows something about this incident. To that person; please do the right thing and contact us.”
Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen said: “I want to extend my condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones. Our police department is actively continuing their investigation to locate and arrest the suspect. If anyone has information to share about the incident, please contact the Edmonds Police Department.”
Because the crime scene was near Madrona K-8 school, police were in communication with school officials, McClure said. An extra police presence was in the area as officers and detectives canvassed the area, he added.
Police from numerous nearby law enforcement agencies responded to assist at the crime scene, including Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Shoreline.
— By Teresa Wippel
I am almost certain that someone who chooses to murder another human being over something as trivial as forgetting to yield has committed scores of violent crimes throughout their life. Knowing the justice system in our state, and largely Seattle, there is a good chance a judge turned him loose every time with a trial date that everyone knew he would never show up for. When I was a kid growing up in the 2000s, my parents bragged to every out of state guest how safe our cities and state are. Years of bad policy are slowly eroding that sense of safety, for nothing in return except a self righteous sense of political correctness. The Washington State Republican party needs to step its act up, and start providing candidates that cater to the majority of Washingtonians, who from my experience are moderates like me who are fed up with the Washington Democrats terrible policies.
For context, I am an independent. I do subscribe to the idea that we need increase budget for police and police training and accountability.
It’s interesting in your commentary, a). The lack of acknowledgment that gun violence is disproportionately higher in red states, b) There’s absolutely zero reference to that part of the problem could be an utter lack of gun control which makes it easy for anybody to get their hands on a weapon and to hurt other citizens.
It’s the entire system to blame. from the government to the justice department, to gun laws, and all of it. the system is rigged and innocent lives are being taken at the benefit of billionaires. There’s no need for all the political jargon, blaming each other and becoming more divided. What matters most is getting justice for this innocent being, who came here for a better life and was killed for something so small. There will a time when this person eventually pays for this. Send my love and prayers to the family affect led by this.
As an independent I want to inform you that your comment on an utter lack of gun control in Wa is complete nonsense. Study up. That narrative is based in far left fairy tales used to excuse years of Democrat failure on crime. Put in the work. Read the numbers.
The irony would be amusing if this wasn’t so tragic; I read this on the eve of one of the most violent and shocking attacks on our government, perpetrated by Republicans. And in creating a backstory for this situation, of which you have absolutely zero facts, you lay the blame at Democrats feet. This type of commentary, which only serves to further divide our communities, is disingenuous at best. And by the way, the report came out recently that violent crime is down. Counciloncj.org.
This area has been completely under Democrat control for year s with Dem Governors so …….Blaming the GOP falls real real short considering FBI crime data shows clearly what Dem control and crime have in common. Let’s do better. In fact let’s make it great once more together.
Here’s the data to refute your baseless commentary; happy to engage in a fast-based discussion any time you like.
WA State ranked #9 of 50 in gun safety and trending positive.
https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/
Everytown is an anti 2A group run by Mike Bloomberg a man who is a billionaire and grew up with maids and butlers and has 24/7 armed security. This guy could care less about our safety. In the middle of the night the glass breaks and you need protection……ah hmm you can’t trust this group to help you. We can do better.
I think you have mischaracterized what the group is about according to what I found on the internet Matt. But thanks for pointing me to a reason to look it up. I don’t know what”anti 2A” means however.
Everytown is just another Soros-Bloomberg-funded propaganda outlet that is infamous for cooking numbers by classifying criminals shot by the police in gunfights as “gun violence victims” to boost the numbers. One infamous example is that Boston bomber who died in a shootout with the police. To add even more hypocrisy to their act, they classified a murderous beast that murdered dozens as a “victim”.
Also for giggles, let’s mention legislators that are famous for enacting policies and laws that limit guns for normal people but, like that Californian Leeland Lee, sell them in the black market to criminals. This one only got a slap on the wrist when caught, which characterizes the real intent behind all those bans (to normal people). Speaking of California, that Feinstein one, who also likes to ban weapons for normal people, has her own concealed-carry permit, which is very hard to get over there.
Anyone serious about knowing the crime numbers should research the FBI annual reports. There are several spreadsheets that go down to ZIP codes and it takes some work to filter but it’s worth it. And please, crime is crime, no matter using hands, hammers, knives or guns (e.g. bare hands murders account for more deaths than people shot with rifles).
We have gotten WAY off topic in this thread. I’m closing it now.
Time for City Council & Mayor to review Police budget and increase funding. The word is we are down one light partol duty officer? Also we should consider suspending the Animal Control officer and converting that to a neighborhood watch patrol type unit. Crime is really really getting out of control, we need to be proactive.
The Police budget has increased significantly in the past few years. The problem is that it has not been wisely allocated. A shocking amount has gone to increased salaries for the chief, assistant chiefs, and to the newly created position of commander – three of them.
I have to agree, more then 80 percent of edmonds PD protect downtown but can give a s7%$ about the upper parts that matter.
Animal Control provides a much needed service to the community. An analysis of command unit salaries and allocation of field resources is certainly justified at this time.
I agree that we should invest more in our police but also empower our officers to really go after criminals and not treat them as “victims”, like many want to (and I had my doubts about their motives). Furthermore, adding speed and traffic light cameras do nothing to prevent crime. It’s only to fleece people out of their money. Enabling higher population concentration with “mini houses” and “poor communities” also only enable gangs and crime increase if not closely watched by law enforcement as historically seen in other locations. Edmonds needs to wake up very quickly and the current administration fix the incompetence and politically-oriented policies implemented by the previous one, otherwise we will be on the way to become another crime cesspool like Seattle.
Agreed, thank you Mario.
Well said Mario.
How is some malcontent person with no values killing someone else, over nothing with a gun, have anything to do with which political party is in power or the fact that we are down one police officer or more? You can’t ever have enough public funding to have a police officer guarding every street corner at all times; and the last time I looked at political party reality, it is mostly Republicans telling me that, “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.”
It’s mostly not the Dem.s pushing the idea that every person who can still breathe should have the right to pack heat. Until we become a more cohesive society with some common moral values and at least some respect for non-violence, none of this is likely to get much better. A self centered, very old mad man running for President, as a “Republican” screaming that “only he can fix it” or there will be a “blood bath if he isn’t the chosen one’; is also not particularly helpful toward ending home grown violence. And the Dem.s dumbly answer back with another too old guy with suspect financial cred. Oh, if it only WERE true that more police and a different political party were the real solutions to the mess.
I’m sorry dude, I was that guy the Republicans were telling you about. Right place, but slightly wrong time. I turned right through the intersection like 60 seconds too early and I would have intercepted the guy on foot but I was like 30 seconds too late when i was on my way towards where i heard the gunfire.
Interesting comments. My bet is that this has many flags of gang-related crime, which has been rapidly increasing in WA due to the liberal policies that tend to protect criminals in detriment of normal people. Seattle became a crime cesspool and those criminals have been expanding their operations since they can run unpunished by laws enacted to protect them. Now even the police cannot chase criminals. It’s ridiculous. As for the ones saying that “republicans and red states have higher crime” better review the real data instead of the brainwashing fabricated information provided by leftist-related media (CNN, ABC, etc.). Blue State cities have far more crime than Red State cities. Just look at Chicago, New York, LA, San Francisco, Oregon, Seattle, etc. vs. Miami, Dallas, etc. Edmonds better wake up and invest on action that will curb crime sooner than later. When I registered my car’s catalytic converter stolen while parked in my driveway a few blocks from downtown the police confirmed crime increase and other theft in the area confirm it. Better stop protecting criminals. They are not “victims”. They are predators and so the politicians enacting laws and policies that protect them.
We all believe what we want to believe. For me, a “Republican Party” dictator and a Police State are a pretty big price to pay for a feeling of security and knowing your CAT converter probably won’t be stolen or your life taken by some nut job who shouldn’t have a gun for whatever reason. Glad you have all the answers, Mario, because all I can come up with are questions about this goofy legal/political system we now have going. Also please expound some more on just who the “normal people” are and aren’t. I think that might help move the discussion along some. We have so many people using and abusing drugs and alcohol and a couple small arms available for every man woman and child in the country, that I have to wonder what “normal” really is now? Maybe the “normal people” have become the arms manufacturers and drug king pins that profit so handsomely off of all this chaos and crime we have going. If the war on drugs was going to work, I’d think we would have won it by now. It’s been around for at least 50 years of my life and counting.
During covid the authoritarian govt was definitely not the GOP. I think that’s undisputed.
I just donated towards the funeral expenses of Abdulkadir Shariff Gedi, the young rideshare driver who was killed in Edmonds on January 3, 2024.
Please join me in supporting this innocent young man’s family and community in this time of mourning.
https://gofund.me/7bb5cf7d
Thank you Jenna for inserting some human kindness into this discussion by providing the go fund me link
Hi Candace,
I feel it is my responsibility to acknowledge the life lost in this tragedy. This young man should not have been so brutally killed in our city. I hope that Abdulkadir’s family, friends, and colleagues know how sorry we are that he was killed while working in Edmonds.
Regards,
Jenna
Wow – some of these comments are all over the board as well as some exaggerations regarding who “everyone” is & what political party “everyone” is associated with or not. People! A human being died after being shot at on an Edmonds street! It could have been any one of us driving by in any place anywhere in the U.S.A. but this one happened here. The most relevant comment IMO was contained in the article & said by Commander Josh McClure, ie., ““This person came from somewhere and went somewhere else,” McClure said, adding that police hope that someone will recognize the suspect. “This happened too randomly for someone not to realize, ‘I heard a bunch of sirens randomly after somebody left my house.’” BTW, former Mayor Nelson, when he was on Council, proposed Ordinance 4210 ( gun storage and unauthorized use ordinance). It was voted for affirmatively by all but 1 nay vote. The WA State Supreme Court eventually struck it down. Go ahead & argue about it. I’m sure some will as they did then. Police cannot be on every St corner 24/7. This is not just because of “Seattle” folks. For all we know, the shooter is a neighbor.
Hi Pamela,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. A crime like this is terrifying for the entire community. I don’t remember such a random and brutal killing occurring in Edmonds, with no apparent motive, since the murder of Mr. Nagy at the old 7-Eleven.
I offer my prayers for the family and the friends of the victim.
Regards,
Jenna
Again blaming crime victims and legal gun owners for a crime problem that has flourished in almost every “progressive “ run town. Summer of Love and Mostly peace, two weeks to flatten the curve…….yawn …..I just don’t buy it.
I don’t even understand your most recent comment Matt. And the “yawn” you added – just sad & trivializes a life snuffed out by violence. BTW, point of history: Summer of Love generally refers to a social phenomenon that occurred in 1967 in San Francisco.