Portland father reaches out to make peace with another parent he kept clashing with. But the man pulls out a gun instead

Oregon father Michael Zakarneh reached out to make peace with another parent he kept clashing with at school pickup, but the situation ended with gunfire instead. A jury just convicted 43-year-old Noureddine Dib of second-degree attempted murder.

People reported that he was also convicted for first- and second-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, and discharging a firearm within city limits.

The confrontation happened in October 2024, during pickup at the Islamic School of Portland. Zakarneh approached Dib’s car in the parking lot behind the school. After a brief exchange, Dib shot Zakarneh in the abdomen, then chased him onto school property while firing more rounds. Zakarneh managed to escape to a nearby gas station, where bystanders called 911. Dib entered the school building afterward, called 911 himself, and was taken into custody.

The two men had a history of tension over driving during school drop-off, with clashes escalating in the weeks before the shooting. According to 911 call audio obtained by The Oregonian, Dib told dispatchers, “I’m a peaceful person but this guy keeps harassing me.” 

Dibs, pulling a gun is still an overreaction

His defense attorneys argued that Zakarneh had been the aggressor. Defense attorney Kristen Winnemiller described Dib’s actions as a single self-defense shot, saying, “It was the man who had been tormenting him for weeks, with mocking gestures and horrible derogatory language.” Prosecutors denied those claims in court.

Zakarneh’s daughter, Amineh, spoke about the emotional toll the shooting took on her 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.” She said her father had tried to speak with Dib days earlier to resolve their disputes, but the situation escalated instead. 

“He said he just wanted to talk, and then all of a sudden the man pulled out the gun and shot him,” she said. The incident left the community shaken. “The mosque is supposed to be a safe haven,” Amineh 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.”

Second-degree attempted murder, the charge Dib was convicted of, falls under federal law as an unlawful killing with “malice aforethought” but without premeditation. Congress defines “malice aforethought” as a conscious intention to kill, regardless of ill will. Unlike first-degree murder, which requires premeditation, second-degree murder involves intent formed in the moment. Think ‘crime of passion’ instead of an in-depth plan.

Dib was also convicted of first- and second-degree assault, which in many states is classified based on the severity of the injury and the intent behind it. The Roche Law Group explains that first-degree assault is the most serious, involving serious bodily harm or the use of a deadly weapon, and can result in up to 25 years in prison. 

Second-degree assault, a Class D felony, involves intentional injury with a deadly weapon or causing “serious physical injury,” such as a broken bone. Third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, involves either intentional or reckless injury that causes pain or visible marks but doesn’t rise to the level of serious harm.

The Islamic School of Portland shooting highlights how quickly disputes can escalate, especially in spaces meant to be safe for families. Zakarneh’s attempt to resolve tensions peacefully ended in violence, leaving a community grappling with the aftermath. The verdict brings some closure, but the emotional and physical scars remain. 

Dib is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 before Judge Andrew Lavin. This sentencing will determine the final consequences of the shooting, but for Zakarneh’s family and the school community, the impact of that day will linger far longer.