Juweria Subcis, a member of the Somali regional state parliament, died at the scene. Her Sister Fowsia Musse, a Lewiston-Auburn community leader, and three others were gravely injured after a security officer shot them indiscriminately at Jigjiga Garad Wilwal Airport, Somali State, Ethiopia
Fowsia Musse, the executive director of Maine Community Integration, was shot by a law enforcement officer at an airport in Ethiopia Tuesday.
Three other people were injured and one killed in the shooting.
Her sister Juweria Subcis, a member of the Somali regional state parliament, died at the scene. Musse’s son was among those injured.
According to a GoFundMe page created by Musse’s daughter Shadia Abdulahi, Musse traveled to Ethiopia to visit family for the first time since she left the region in 1993 at age 12. Upon arrival at Jigjiga Garad Wilwal Airport, Musse and others were shot after a law enforcement officer opened fire during an altercation, reportedly with another traveler.
According to local media, the officer has been arrested and an investigation is underway.
Musse and her son are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
“The trauma and pain that my mother left 20+ years ago only revisited her on Tuesday October 25th,” the daughter wrote on GoFundMe. “Nobody deserves to see their little sister shot in front of them, and nobody deserves to die in that manner. Nobody deserves to be left without their parent, to feel lost and confused, traumatized, scared, or alone. A trip that was supposed to be the trip of my mother’s dreams quite literally turned into a nightmare in 72 hours.”
Maine Community Integration is a nonprofit organization based in Lewiston that is “committed to integrating New Mainers into their communities while respecting and uplifting their diverse cultures, identities, and traditions,” according to their website.
Abdulahi, a college student in Massachusetts, is currently working with the Ethiopian and United States Embassy to secure the safety of her family. She plans to travel to the region as soon as she is able to, according to a press release by the Maine People’s Alliance, which works closely with Musse.
“Juweria was, and will still continue to be, a well-respected political figure, an excellent mother, and a beautiful soul,” Abdulahi said. “Inshallah justice is served in her name. My aunt Juweria did not deserve to pass away, and especially in a manner as gruesome and uncivil as such. I love everybody dearly, and my family and I are eternally grateful for all of the support that we have received.”
