On July 31, 2015, a 20-year-old Black / African American male named Zakariya Ibrahim Issa was shot and killed in Seattle, Washington. The incident occurred in the New Holly neighborhood as he was walking home after attending the funeral of a friend who had also been a victim of a drive-by shooting. At the moment of the attack, Issa was on the phone with his mother, who tragically heard the gunshots before the line went dead.
Medics arrived at the scene but were unable to save his life.
The shooting was not a random act of violence but rather the culmination of a dispute between Issa and a former friend. Witnesses reported seeing a BMW pull up alongside Issa. A man exited the vehicle, punched Issa, knocking him to the ground, and then shot him multiple times in the head in what was described as a broad-daylight execution. The assailant then got back into the car, which fled the scene. The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Seattle Police Department's homicide detectives, crime scene investigators, and the Gang Unit.
Within weeks, police made arrests in connection with the murder. The primary suspect, identified as 20-year-old Mohamed Abas Omar, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Investigators determined that Omar and Issa had been friends, but their relationship soured due to a dispute involving theft and money. Issa reportedly believed Omar had burglarized his home, leading to a retaliation that ended their friendship. After the shooting, Omar fled to Minneapolis by bus but later returned to Seattle, where he was arrested after his mother helped arrange a meeting with detectives. A second individual, a 19-year-old man, was also arrested. He was believed to have been the driver of the BMW, which belonged to Omar's mother.
