Abubakar Abdi, a 20-year-old resident of Seattle, WA, tragically lost his life on October 11, 2015. The incident occurred in the Brighton neighborhood of Rainier Valley, specifically at the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Garden Street. Abdi was found wounded by a witness who called 911 around 9:30 p.m. Despite the efforts of responding medics, Abdi was declared dead at the scene.
The King County Medical Examiner's Office determined that he died from a gunshot wound to the torso.
The investigation revealed that Abdi had been involved in an argument with a 34-year-old man named Michael David Henderson, who is also known by the nickname 'Big Evil.' Surveillance footage captured the altercation, showing Henderson pulling out a gun and shooting Abdi before walking away with friends. Witnesses reported that the argument began across the street at a Shell gas station and continued as both parties moved to the location where the shooting occurred. It was noted that Abdi and Henderson did not know each other prior to this incident.
Henderson, a known gang member with a history of felony convictions for vehicular assault and drug violations, was arrested on October 13, 2015, at Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Othello Street. He was charged with second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Henderson was held in King County Jail on $2 million bail. Court records indicated that he was on probation at the time of the shooting and had a history of PCP use and gang affiliation.
The legal proceedings following the arrest were complex. Henderson contended that he acted in self-defense and that the shooting was accidental. However, the jury found him guilty of felony murder predicated on second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The trial court did not instruct the jury on excusable homicide, which led to an appeal. The Washington Supreme Court ultimately upheld the conviction, agreeing with the State that the excusable homicide instruction was properly rejected, allowing Henderson to adequately argue his theory of the case under the given instructions.
Abubakar Abdi's death highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence affecting East African youth in Seattle. His funeral was attended by many who mourned the loss and called for action to address the root causes of such violence in the community.
