In the quiet evening of July 14, 2024, the life of 17-year-old Sahal Muridi, a male of Somali descent, was tragically cut short in Lewiston, Maine. Just after 10:30 p.m., police responded to calls of gunfire at 77 Rideout Avenue, in front of the Hillview Apartments where Muridi lived. Upon arrival, they discovered the young man's body in the roadway.
It was later determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that he had died from a gunshot wound to the head and neck, and his death was ruled a homicide. Friends and family recalled the horrific scene of Muridi being shot and then pushed from a car in front of his own home. He was remembered as a kind and well-liked student at Lewiston High School and a mentor for a local organization, Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services.
The killing sent a wave of shock and grief through the Lewiston community, particularly as it was one of three shooting incidents that occurred in the city over that same weekend. Witnesses at the scene of Muridi's death reported seeing a silver Mercedes and a black Dodge Challenger fleeing the area. While police were able to identify and speak with the driver of the Mercedes, who cooperated with the investigation, the search for the person responsible for Muridi's death continued for nearly a year. The community held vigils, praying and sharing memories of the young man whose life was taken so suddenly.
A significant break in the case came almost a year later. Following an extensive investigation by state and local police, a suspect was identified as Nasib Aden, a 23-year-old former Lewiston resident. On May 6, 2025, an Androscoggin County grand jury indicted Aden on a charge of murder. The search for Aden extended beyond Maine, leading to his arrest on June 11, 2025, in Fridley, Minnesota, by an FBI task force. Aden was extradited back to Maine to face the charges.
On June 27, 2025, Nasib Aden was arraigned in Androscoggin County Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sahal Muridi. While an arrest has been made, authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the shooting or detailed any potential connection between Aden and the young victim. Aden is currently being held without bail at the Androscoggin County Jail as he awaits trial, a development that brings a measure of progress to a case that has deeply affected the Lewiston community.
