A dispute between two fathers during a school pickup escalated into gunfire, leaving one man injured. Noureddine Dib, 43, has been found guilty of second-degree attempted murder and several related charges stemming from the 2024 shooting incident. The verdict was delivered by a jury on Tuesday, according to a press release from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
The Incident: School Pickup Turns Violent
The shooting occurred on October 17, 2024, during the school pickup at the Islamic School of Portland, located in southwest Portland. According to The Oregonian, the victim, Michael Zakarneh, approached Dib’s car in a parking lot behind the school. The two men had a brief interaction, which quickly escalated into violence when Dib shot Zakarneh in the abdomen. The shooter then pursued Zakarneh while continuing to fire multiple rounds on school property.
Zakarneh managed to escape and flee to a nearby gas station, where bystanders called 911. Dib, after entering the school building, reportedly called 911 himself and was subsequently taken into custody.
Tensions Leading Up to the Shooting
Reports suggest that the two men had been clashing over driving-related issues during school drop-offs in the weeks before the shooting. This conflict had been escalating, with tensions rising as the weeks passed. Zakarneh’s daughter, Amineh Zakarneh, described the emotional impact of the incident on their family. She expressed how the traumatic experience nearly took her father away from their family.
“He’s just everything you would want in a father, and for that to be almost taken away from me and my siblings and my family is absolutely gut-wrenching,” Amineh said, reflecting the deep emotional toll the shooting has had on her loved ones.
Legal Proceedings and Defense Arguments
Dib was convicted on multiple charges, including first- and second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, recklessly endangering another person, and discharging a firearm within city limits. Defense attorneys argued that Zakarneh had been the aggressor in previous encounters and that Dib acted out of self-defense.
“It was the man who had been tormenting him for weeks, with mocking gestures and horrible derogatory language,” defense attorney Kristen Winnemiller stated, claiming that Dib fired a single self-defense shot. However, prosecutors denied these claims during the trial.
The Impact on the Community
Amineh Zakarneh also highlighted the broader impact the incident has had on their community. She expressed how the shooting disrupted the sense of safety within their mosque, which is supposed to be a place of peace and sanctuary.
“The mosque is supposed to be a safe haven,” she said. “And for that to be disrupted in this way just creates more divide and that is the direct opposite of what our religion calls for.”
Sentencing and Future Proceedings
Noureddine Dib is scheduled for sentencing on May 7 before Judge Andrew Lavin. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorneys Eric Palmer and Stephany Mgbadigha prosecuted the case, which has stirred significant emotional responses from both the victim’s family and the broader community.
