Edmonds Senior Center Murder: EPD Faces Uncooperative Witnesses

EDMONDS, WA - Investigators continue to examine last month's shooting at the Edmonds Senior Center and are still seeking tips from those who were present when 23-year-old Alexander Rhodes was shot and killed during a large party Dec. 14.

Immediately following the shooting, Edmonds police arrested Samba Sy of SeaTac and Abdourahim Juwara of Seattle, both 21, in connection with Rhodes' murder. Sy was held on suspicion of murder while Juwara was held for attempting to elude police in the moments preceding their arrests.

However, Sy was released following the expiration of a 72-hour hold reportedly because no formal charges were filed with either the District or Superior Court.

The challenge for investigators at this time appears to stem from a lack of cooperation from those who were present at the senior center when Rhodes was shot and killed. Edmonds police on Monday issued a statement asking for witnesses to come forward because without further assistance, they said, it will be all the more difficult to identify and arrest Rhodes' killer.

"Detectives have received varied amounts of cooperation from those that were there on the night of the shooting," the Monday police statement said in part. "Even officers who were outside when the shooting started and rushed into the scene to tend to the victim were met with a hostile crowd."

Additionally, police said they know at least two firearms were used in the shooting, though no weapons were recovered from the scene that night.

At least one person has spoken to officers since the night of the shooting, police said.

At a vigil for Rhodes put on by family and friends one person gave detectives cell phone video of the shooting as it happened. Police edited the video and shared it with news outlets on Monday.

"Other than that, no one has come forward," police said. "Detectives have been working to track down anyone who they believe may have been involved."

In the heavily pixelated and shaky 5-second video edited and shared by police, shouting and profanity is heard while one person in a red hoodie can be seen running from what appears to be the senior center's front entrance; it doesn't offer much more than that, however, leaving police to rely on the firsthand accounts of those who were there.

"We know there were eyewitnesses to this and we know that someone took evidence from the scene," EPD Detective Andy Mehl said in a statement. "Our goal is to bring this young man's killer to justice, but we are going to need the people who were there to come forward and be honest about what happened."

Rhodes reportedly leaves behind two sons, 1 and 3 years old, and a large contingent of friends and family who are also seeking answers.

One of those individuals, Ania Aguirre-Faletogo, setup a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Rhodes' cremation and memorial service, as well as to help her care for their kids while she takes time off work to process the tragedy.

To get in touch with Edmonds police regarding this investigation, send an email to policetips@edmondswa.gov, call the Edmonds PD Tip Line at 425-771-0212, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers either by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), going online at P3tips.com, or via the P3 Tips App.

Any tips given to Crime Stoppers that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.

Patch has reached out to Snohomish County court records and will update this post if more detailed information is made available.

RELATED:

• Edmonds Senior Center Shooting: 2 Men Arrested

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Edmonds Patch)

Image via GoFundMe

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner