Share and Follow
Left inset: Noureddine Dib (KGW). Right inset: Michael Zakarneh (GoFundMe). Background: Surveillance footage showing Noureddine Dib shooting Michael Zakarneh outside an Oregon school during student pick-up time (KGW/Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office).
A father from Oregon has been found guilty of attempted murder after a violent confrontation with another parent in a school parking lot. The incident unfolded just moments before their children were due to be dismissed, following a string of unpleasant encounters between the two men, as detailed by prosecutors.
Noureddine Dib, aged 43, confronted Michael Zakarneh, 49, in the parking lot of the Islamic School of Portland in 2024. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by local NBC affiliate KGW, Dib warned Zakarneh, “If you don’t get the f— out of my face, I’ll have to show you something,” before brandishing a gun and shooting him.
Dib was found guilty by a Multnomah County jury on Tuesday after 12 hours of deliberation. Prosecutors said at a press conference announcing the conviction that the shooting stemmed from a “number of unfortunate, rude, or disrespectful, encounters” that the two fathers had with one another, including an incident several weeks prior to the shooting where Dib complained about Zakarneh’s driving in the school pickup and drop-off area.
Deputy District Attorney Eric Palmer described the setting as particularly prone to tension, noting, “This shooting took place in a small parking lot that was accessed by a narrow, residential street. It’s the perfect condition for some tense moments when it’s full of a number of drivers.”
On the day of the incident, Palmer recounted how Zakarneh attempted to defuse the situation and improve their interactions. Surveillance footage revealed Zakarneh’s efforts to engage Dib in conversation moments before Dib resorted to violence. “Look, we are just talking,” Zakarneh is heard saying in response to Dib’s threat, according to the affidavit.
During the trial, it emerged that while both men attended the same mosque in Portland, they had only crossed paths about a month prior to the shooting. The prosecution highlighted this detail to underscore the brief, yet escalating nature of their relationship.
Dib claimed that he opened fire on Zakarneh in self-defense, despite the surveillance footage showing him shooting Zakarneh while he was running away, The Oregonian reports. His attorneys said Dib was the target of “mocking language” and “very aggressive behavior” that Zakarneh displayed. The two men allegedly had three prior interactions in the school parking lot.
“I’m a peaceful person but this guy keeps harassing me,” Dib said during a 911 call after the shooting, according to audio played in court. Prosecutors pointed out during his trial that he never claimed to be in fear for his life.
“Noureddine Dib took a loaded firearm to his children’s school,” Multnomah County prosecutor Stephany Mgbadigha said during opening statements.
A GoFundMe launched by Zakarneh’s family describes him as a “kind person who’s very social and loves making people laugh.”
Speaking to reporters about Zakarneh, Palmer said, “My heart and mind is still with the victim of this shooting. … I’ve thought about him and his family every day and the anxiety and the fear that they’ve lived with ever since. Right now, I continue to think about them and the moment of extreme relief that they’re feeling in this moment. I’m incredibly grateful to the jury that gave thoughtful consideration to this evidence and gave the one and only just and true verdict of guilty on all counts.”
Dib is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7.