A 21-year-old Edmonds man pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree murder in the Jan. 3 shooting death of ride-share driver Abdikadir Gedi Shariif.

Alex Matthew Waggoner on Friday was formally charged with fatally shooting Shariif near the intersection of 236th Street Southwest and Edmonds Way. Appearing via video in Snohomish County Superior Court Monday, Waggoner entered a not-guilty plea before Judge Millie M. Judge. Bail remains at $1 million, with a trial date set for March 29.

According to the charging documents, Waggoner was crossing Edmonds Way when Shariif, who was driving his vehicle, did not see the defendant and nearly collided with him. When Shariif rolled down the window and began to apologize, the defendant drew a firearm and shot into the vehicle approximately 11 times, killing the victim.

A dozen members of Shariif’s family and Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association Executive Director Ahmed Mumin attended Monday’s arraignment. “We want justice,” Mumin said on behalf of the family. “We want to make sure that he does not come out and never see the outside again. We want the court to make sure that he pays for the crime that he did.”

Mumin said that there is not enough attention being paid to the crime. He added that he, the family and the ride-share community are working with elected officials to address the dangers ride-share drivers face.

“[Edmonds City Councilmember] Jenna Nand is working very close with the family,” Mumin said. “We are coming up with ideas on helping ride-share drivers be safe.” Nand is collaborating with the family and Mumin as a private citizen, not as a city official.

Mumin mentioned that he and the ride-share association are proposing state legislation that provides death benefits to ride-share drivers’ families. “The family has to bear the burden of paying for funeral expenses,” he said. “Last week at the (legislative) hearing, we proposed as an association that there be $25,000 in immediate compensation for funeral expenses for families to lose their loved ones while they’re driving for the ride-share.”

Mumin said that ride-share companies continue to ignore the drivers. “They don’t have any feelings to call the families to give them condolences. This person is dedicated to the platform, making money for them. They should have some decency when somebody dies while working for them. We want them to take responsibility.”

Meanwhile, Mumin said that the Gedi family and the ride-share association will continue to attend every hearing to hold Waggoner accountable for his crime. 

“To say that he’s not guilty is shameful,” said the victim’s father, Abdullahi Ali, speaking in Somali. “He should accept his crime and say that he’s guilty.”

— Story and photos by Nick Ng