Trial continues for Edmonds man accused in 2024 shooting of rideshare driver

Day two in the trial of an Edmonds man accused of fatally shooting a rideshare driver in 2024 continued in Snohomish County Superior Court Monday with testimony from several police officers, a medical examiner and a forensic scientist.

Alex Matthew Waggoner, 22, faces charges of second-degree murder for allegedly shooting rideshare driver Abdikadir Gedi Shariif at the intersection of 236th Street Southwest and Edmonds Way in Edmonds just after 10 p.m. Jan. 3, 2024.

In opening arguments July 10, the prosecution stated that Waggoner shot Shariif after the rideshare driver attempted to make a left turn from 236th Street onto Edmonds Way. The car’s dashcam video showed Shariif trying to apologize after nearly hitting Waggoner, but the suspect responded by shooting Shariif.

The defense argued that Waggoner acted in self defense because he believed that Shariif was intentionally trying to run him over.

On Monday, the jury heard from Edmonds police officer Brittany Ovens and Det. Cpl. Robert Allen. Ovens described visiting the victim at Harborview Medical Center. Allen explained the different bullet trajectories and bullet holes found on Shariif’s Prius.

Edmonds Police Det. Patrick Clark testified that he examined the videos from a Ring camera obtained from Waggoner’s apartment, recorded close to the time of the shooting. 

The Ring videos were timestamped and documented Waggoner’s movements around the time of the shooting. One video showed Waggoner leaving his apartment at 10:12 p.m., sporting a dark hoodie and black-and-white Vans shoes, the same shoes that EPD Det. Stacie Trykar testified about during the trial’s first day Thursday. The second video showed Waggoner running up the steps to his apartment at 10:17 p.m., yelling “Oh s***! Oh s***!” before he unlocked the door to his apartment.

Everett police officer Brandon Hoelzel, who belongs to the city’s Anti-Crime Unit, arrested Waggoner Jan. 10, 2024 with the help of an officer from the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force. Waggoner was leaving his apartment as Hoelzel and a fellow task force member arrived. Hoelzel said that the suspect was cooperative during the arrest. Waggoner also told the officers that he had a firearm on him, which was a Taurus G2C 9-millimeter pistol.

Medical examiner Micheline Lubin described the trajectory of the bullet that entered Shariif’s skull. “Back to front, left to right, and upwards,” Lubin said. 

After a thorough explanation of the autopsy, Lubin said, “The cause of death was a gunshot wound to his head. The manner of death was homicide.”

Washington State Patrol Crime Lab forensic scientist Dijana Coric compared the microscopic striations in the bullet casings found on the scene with the ones that she test-fired from Waggoner’s pistol. 

“My conclusion was that the 10 fired 9-millimeter Luger caliber cartridge cases and the three fired bullets we discussed were all identified as having been fired from the Taurus pistol,” Coric said.

Defense attorney Jeff Wolfenbarger said the bullet casings found at the crime scene “were spaced out…[a] pretty good distance from where shooting likely occurred.” He asked if those casings could have been damaged at the scene after the shooting happened.

“Yes, especially the ones that appeared damaged, look like what I would refer to as road rash,” Coric said. “So I don’t know if these things were found on concrete or what, but yes, that looks like it could be.”

Prosecuting attorney Bob Langbehn suggested to Judge Richard Okrent that the trial be continued to Tuesday to allow time for the recorded interview between Edmonds PD Det. Clark and Waggoner, which lasts about two hours. Okrent approved and told the jury the trial will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.