On October 13, 2023, 18-year-old Isaac Aney was fatally shot while driving on Casino Road in Everett, Washington. The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. when police received an 'open line' 911 call with someone screaming for help. Officers arrived at the scene to find Aney in the driver's seat of a black Acura with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was rushed to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, where he was pronounced dead an hour later.
The suspect in the shooting was
identified as Mohammed 'Mo' Jaiteh, also 18 years old. According to witnesses and dash camera footage, Aney had made a U-turn on Highway 526 and was driving towards Jaiteh, who was walking on the sidewalk. As the car approached, Jaiteh allegedly began firing at the vehicle. The Acura was hit by multiple bullets, with several holes found in the hood, windshield, and passenger side door.
Jaiteh was arrested later that evening when he returned to his home. Police found six. 40-caliber bullets in two different backpacks during a search of his residence. He was initially held on a $1 million bond and later charged with second-degree murder. The investigation revealed a 'clear volatile conflict' between Jaiteh and the passengers in Aney's car, based on text messages and a video showing Jaiteh in a physical altercation with one of the passengers in the Cascade High School parking lot.
Both Aney and Jaiteh had connections to Mariner High School. Aney, who graduated in June 2023, had played middle linebacker and fullback on the varsity football team. Jaiteh was still a student at Mariner at the time of the incident. The shooting deeply affected the local community, with a vigil held for Aney at Mariner High School the day after the tragedy.
This incident marked the second shooting death of a Mukilteo School District student in recent weeks, following the death of 15-year-old Bryan Tamayo-Franco on September 8, 2023. The community has been left grappling with these tragic events, highlighting concerns about youth violence in the area.
