Community rallies around seriously-wounded cab driver

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A Louisville cab driver shot on the job is struggling to recover in the hospital.

Abdirahman Mohamed is a Somali immigr ant and Sunday the local Somali community, and other cab drivers, joined together to rally in support of him.

Mohamed is in the ICU with a spinal injury and so far hasn't been able to even talk.

"He may not be able to walk, or provide for his family again, and that's really something that concerns us all," Noor Yussuf, Mohamed's cousin said.

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Described as out-going and hard-working, Mohamed is a husband and father of four children, all under the age of 10.

"He used to work 16 to 17 hours," his friend Farhan Abdi said.

Mohamed immigrated from Somalia in 2007 to escape the country's civil war.

"We came here to live a better life and to live safe, so we didn't come here to get shot while working to earn for our family," Abdi said.

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According to police the shooting happened around 3 a.m. Thursday in the 3200 block of Hale Avenue in the Parkland neighborhood. Police still don't know what lead to the attack.

"This gun play is so reckless and then we have minds attached to it that really don't understand the sanctity of life," Christopher 2X, a local nonviolence activist, said.

Mohamed had already escaped being allegedly shot at earlier this year over a route dispute in West Louisville.

"The fear is really high, but you can't just sit at home," Yussuf said. "You've got to pay rent in a couple days and you've got to provide for your family."

Friends find it tough to visit Mohamed in his current state.

"I can't explain how I felt," said Idiris Ali, another one of Mohamed's friends. "It's more than words, my emotions. It's very, very bad."

They're asking for all the help they can get.

"As soon as this happened to him, we all had tears in our eyes," Abdi said. "We need support, everybody's support."

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Mohamed.

Yellow Cab is offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the shooting.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Louisville Metro Police Department's Anonymous Tip Line at 574-LMPD.

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