On the night of January 3, 2024, Abdulkadir Shariff Gedi, a 31-year-old Black male from SeaTac, Washington, was working as a rideshare driver. After dropping off passengers in Edmonds, his life came to an abrupt and violent end in what police described as a "chance encounter." At around 10:15 p.m., as Gedi was making a left turn at the intersection of Edmonds Way and 236th Street Southwest, he nearly struck a pedestrian who was crossing the street.
The pedestrian, later identified as 21-year-old Alex Waggoner, was reportedly looking down at his phone while in the crosswalk. Gedi's dashcam footage revealed that he slowed his vehicle and rolled down his window, seemingly to apologize for the near-miss. Before he could get the words out, Waggoner pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots into the car. Gedi was struck several times and rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of the morning. Investigators later found 11 shell casings at the scene, noting Gedi's vehicle had been hit nine times.
The investigation into the seemingly random shooting became the Edmonds Police Department's top priority. Witnesses reported seeing a red sedan in the area shortly after the gunfire. Police appealed to the public for information, asking for Gedi's recent passengers and any occupants of the red car to come forward as witnesses. The passengers were located and interviewed but had not witnessed the shooting itself. The investigation quickly led to a nearby apartment complex where Waggoner lived. Doorbell camera footage captured a frantic Waggoner returning to his apartment just five minutes after the shooting.
On January 10, 2024, a week after the incident, police arrested Alex Waggoner outside his apartment. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing body armor and carrying two loaded pistols, one of which he later confirmed was the weapon used in the shooting. During a police interview, Waggoner admitted to shooting Gedi. He told detectives that he had been drinking and was walking to a Safeway to buy more alcohol when the car nearly hit him. Waggoner claimed he was scared but acknowledged that he had "overreacted" and expressed remorse for his actions. Prosecutors later charged him with second-degree murder. In a letter to Gedi's family, Waggoner wrote, "No words can describe how horrible I feel about this and I wish I could take that day back." A jury found Waggoner guilty, and he was subsequently sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison.
