EDMONDS, Wash. — A Snohomish County Superior Court jury found an Edmonds man guilty Wednesday of murdering a rideshare driver in 2024.
Abdikadir Shariif was driving near 236th Street Southwest and Edmonds Way when he was shot and killed.
22-year-old Alex Matthew Waggoner was arrested for the crime.
Police say Waggoner was walking in the area at the time and was nearly hit by Shariif.
The rideshare driver tried to apologize, but police say Waggoner shot and killed him.
Waggoner’s sentencing is set for 1 p.m. on Sept. 17.
Shariif was one of two rideshare drivers killed on the job in January of 2024. Weeks after his death, Redi-cab driver Nick Hokema met a similar fate.
In the weeks following the murders, rideshare drivers pushed for a new law to protect them on or between jobs.
Washington Legislative House Bill 2382 was eventually passed, which provides death benefits to the families of drivers who were killed while they were logged into the rideshare company’s network, if they were physically in the company driver’s vehicle or just near it. Before, state law only provided benefits if the driver was on an actual trip.
In January 2024, people testified in support of the bill and highlighted safety concerns. During the testimony, a driver cited people creating fake accounts to lure rideshare drivers for robberies.
Riders have also advocated for ways to quickly contact law enforcement. On its website, Uber said it allows drivers to record their rides with audio and video and created an emergency button to quickly contact emergency services.
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