Courier Journal
By Joseph Gerth
Members of the Somali community attended a press conference at the International Mall to discuss the condition of Somali cab driver Abdirahman Gelle Mohamed who was shot in Louisvlle’s West End last Thursday. June 26, 2016 (Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr./The CJ)
Thursday morning's shooting of a cab driver in Louisville's west end has sent fright and shock through the city's Somali community as the victim fought for his life in a Louisville hospital.
Abdirahman Gelle Mohamed, who immigrated from Somalia in 2007, remains in intensive care where he is not breathing on his own and isn't expected to walk again, said community activist Christopher 2X, who is helping the Somali community deal with the shooting and its aftermath.
"The fear level is really high," Noor Yusef, a cousin of the Mohamed, said during a press conference at the International Mall in downtown Louisville. Yusef said his father is a cab driver like Mohamed and he worries about his safety.
Yusef said Mohamed, 27, has a wife and four children ranging in age from an infant to 9-years-old. The Somali community has set up a gofundme.com account to help Mohamed and his family.
"He was just trying to live the American Dream," said Yusef. "He may not be able to walk and provide for his family again," he said.
Louisville Metro Police have released very few details about the shooting, other than to say that Mohamed, who works for Yellow Cab, was called to pick up a passenger in the 3200 block of Hale Avenue around 3 a.m. Thursday.
Yusef said the family has not been told what transpired that morning and that they haven't asked any questions of police because they want to allow the police to complete their investigation.
But Yusef and others in the Somali community on Sunday asked for help in finding whoever is responsible for the shooting.
"We need information who did this to our brother," said Farham Abdi, another Somali and a friend of Mohamed. "We need everyone's support."
Those wishing to help the family can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/2bemsh8.
Yellow Cab wants help too. It offered a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Mohamed's assailant.
"The driver is a devoted husband, committed father, and was just doing his job to provide for his family. The driver’s life will never be the same with the permanent injuries he sustained," the cab company said in a statement.
2X said this was not the first time Mohamed was attacked while driving his taxi.
In February or March, after a passenger argued with Mohamed about the route he took, a family member of the fare fired a gun at Mohamed after arriving at the destination in the west end, 2X said. Mohamed wasn't injured and fled the scene, he said. 2X said Mohamed filed a police report at the time.
Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said he wasn't aware of the incident and that copies of any police reports wouldn't be available until Monday.