The Portland Police Bureau reported the arrest of a third suspect in the March 2022 fatal shooting of Somali refugee Shaani Mohamed, a tragic event that has once again brought grief to the community. According to KPTV, the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Shaperryia L. Lambert, faces charges of second-degree murder following her recent arrest in Northeast Portland.
Mohamed, 39 at the time of his death, was found with a fatal gunshot wound in his vehicle near Northeast Milton Street and Northeast 82nd Avenue, a spot notorious for violence in recent years, as reported by Hiiraan Online. He was working as an Uber driver at the time of the shooting, which the authorities believe stemmed from a robbery gone wrong. Lambert becomes the third to be charged in this case, with two other suspects, Justin Ortega-Mejia and Kaesha Green, already facing second-degree murder charges and awaiting trial scheduled for December.
In the words of Mohamed's friend, Musse Olol, president of the Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO), to KPTV, "He was very gentle... very caring. You could tell he had a beautiful heart." Olol also highlighted the difficult time faced by Mohamed's family, expressing hope for the community's support through SACOO. Shaani Mohamed, described as a devoted husband and father of eight, had been living in the United States for approximately 25 years after fleeing the civil war in Somalia.
A GoFundMe campaign created for the family of the late Mohamed has raised over $60,000, assisting with housing and living expenses, as noted by Hiiraan Online. The arrest may provide "some relief" to the grieving family, but as Olol expressed in the same report, "it does not end the pain that this family continues to live with." The ongoing investigation encourages anyone with further information to step forward and contact homicide detectives at [email protected] or call 503-823-0479, referencing case number 22-82299.
Details of Lambert's alleged involvement in Mohamed's death are still unclear, but according to court documents mentioned by KGW, she is accused of participating in the crime that led to Shaani's death while attempting to commit a robbery.
