Community mourns father of 6 who was shot and killed in Seattle while driving for Lyft
TUKWILA, Wash. - Friends and family gathered on Wednesday to remember the life of Mohamed Kediye, a father of six who was shot and killed while working his last route for Lyft near the Amazon Spheres on Sunday night.
Dozens of people filled the Abubakr Islamic Center of Washington in Tukwila to remember him. Through their heartache, it is Muslim tradition to honor Kediye’s life with a prayer.
"It’s so sad we lost that community member," said Ahmad Geelle, a close friend of Kediye’s.
Seattle Police Department said the 48-year-old was driving a rideshare route for Lyft near the Amazon Spheres at 7th and Lenora Sunday night. A passenger was in the car when someone in a separate car drove next to Kediye and shot him in the head.
His loved ones say his death is unthinkable and hard to accept.
"The whole community and all the rideshare drivers. Everybody was in shock and felt so sad about this tragedy that took the life of Mr. Kediye. He left behind a big family," said Geelle.
Kediye was known as a hardworking man who wanted to make a better life for his wife and six children. As the sole income for his household, loved ones said he saved every penny so he could buy a car for his oldest children before they went to college.
Fellow rideshare drivers say he was also popular—he's been driving passengers through the Seattle-metro area for more than 10 years.
"We will not forget Mohamed and we will keep pushing until we get justice for Mohamed," said Geelle, also a rideshare driver.
Kediye’s death is unsettling for rideshare drivers concerned about their safety. The Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association said it’s calling on transportation network companies, like Lyft, for increased protections.
"Have a way to have a direct communication with their drivers when there is an emergency or when there is an issue such as this. Maybe a panic button or something inside the car," said Ahmed Mumin, executive director of Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association.
Mumin explained drivers completed more than 29 million rideshare trips in Seattle in 2021. He said this should indicate that drivers are a necessity in the metro area and their safety should be a priority.
"For us to be able to provide service, we have to have reliability and our safety should be taken into consideration," said Mumin.
Though Lyft has not yet commented on questions regarding increased safety requests, the company wrote in a statement, "The events described are heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with the driver's loved ones and everyone who has been impacted by this tragedy. We are working to make contact with the driver's family as soon as possible, have been in touch with the rider to offer our support, and have reached out to law enforcement to offer our assistance with their investigation."
Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association plans to host a demonstration on Thursday at the Masjid al-Taqwa to show solidarity for Kediye and call on increased safety measures.
Seattle Police said detectives are actively investigating the case, but don’t have details to release at this time. With so many questions and so much heartache, those who knew and loved Kediye turn to their faith for guidance and healing.
"We hope the perpetrator of this heinous crime will be found," said Geelle.
A verified GoFundMe account was created to help Kediye's family cover funeral expenses.