In the early morning hours of August 8, 2023, Amare Geda, a 52-year-old Black / African American male, was working his night shift as a rideshare driver in Seattle, Washington. A hardworking husband and father of two, Geda had spent the last 14 years juggling two jobs to provide for his family; by day, he worked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and by night, he drove for services like Uber and Lyft.
Just before he was due to head home to his family in SeaTac, he was stopped along the curb near the intersection of South Walker Street and 1st Avenue South in the SODO neighborhood. It was there, at approximately 3:30 a.m., that his life was violently cut short.
A figure emerged from the quiet streets and, in what police believe was a random act, approached Geda's light blue Toyota Prius. The encounter was tragically brief. Surveillance footage from a nearby bank would later show that the interaction lasted only a matter of seconds before Geda was shot. First responders found him lying unconscious in the street with at least one gunshot wound to the chest; despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The assailant fled, stealing Geda's car and leaving a family and community devastated by a senseless act of violence. Geda was remembered by those who knew him as a dedicated family man and a helpful member of the local Ethiopian community.
The investigation moved quickly, and two days later, on August 10, Seattle police arrested 18-year-old Neiana M. Allen-Bailey in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Geda's stolen Toyota Prius was discovered after a parking complaint was made about a vehicle in a no-parking zone during a street fair. Plainclothes detectives surveilled the car and took Allen-Bailey into custody when she returned to it.
During questioning, Allen-Bailey provided conflicting stories, first claiming she had purchased the car through an app, and later alleging that Geda had initiated a physical confrontation. However, investigators stated her account was not supported by surveillance evidence. Prosecutors allege that in the days following the shooting, Allen-Bailey used Geda's car to drive around the area, visit her family, buy and smoke marijuana, and get her hair done. Neiana Allen-Bailey was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty, and a judge set her bail at $2 million, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the belief that she posed a flight risk.
