The King County Medical Examiner announced Wednesday afternoon that investigators have determined the December death of Hamza Warsame in a fall from a Capitol Hill building was an accident in a case that surfaced concerns about hate crimes and anti-Muslim sentiment in Seattle.
The teen Seattle Central student died Saturday, December 5th in a 60-foot fall from a building near Summit and Thomas. At the time, CHS was one of the only media outlets to report the death. But the story quickly grew into an international controversy and brought to light local tensions and concerns about hate and Islamophobia against local Muslim communities.
Late last month as national news outlets including the Los Angeles Times began reporting on the case, Seattle Police officials said there was no evidence the 16-year-old was beaten before he fell. A representative from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office told CHS its investigation into the death was on hold while police investigated the case.
Wednesday afternoon, a Seattle Police representative said the medical examiner’s announcement won’t close the investigation until detectives are satisfied the medical results match up with collected evidence. The official cause of death from the examiner was announced as blunt force injuries from an “unintentional fall from building.”
Warsame attended Rainier Beach High School and was starting his first quarter at Seattle Central under the college’s Running Start program, a SCC spokesperson told CHS. Running Start allows high school juniors and seniors to take college–level classes for high school and college credit. His sister told CHS the family immigrated from Somalia to Seattle in 1994. She said Hamza wanted to attend MIT in Boston to study computer science. “He was interested in technology, he was a game fanatic,” she told CHS.
So…
Let me get this straight…
The police initially ruled this a suicide, but because of this story gaining traction on social media, they looked into it further and decided to rule it an accident?
Quick to rule suicide but overruled later with accident?
I don’t remember the police ever speculating it was suicude. When did that happen?
I don’t remember that either. CapHillResident is wrong.
Agreed. Although, this is what I was postulating all along. But, with no evidence supporting it, we’ll never know.
A terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to Warsame’s loved ones.
Regarding the surrounding controversy, I fail to see the helpfulness of making unsupported allegations that his death was a consequence of a hate crime and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Jeff, I agree you expressed my sentiments exactly, A terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to Warsame’s loved ones.
So can we expect Sawant to issue an apology for her careless rhetoric and attempts to stir up racial strife? Right. Not gonna happen.
There’s no grandstanding opportunity in apologizing, c’mon now!
There’s BOUND to be some kind of press conference coming up. On *something*. Somebody should ask her. In fact, somebody should ask her for follow ups EVERY time she does this.
She knows how to play it just like Trump.
Sawant has one thing she loves? Publicity.When Shell was here what did she do other than talk.She is credited with the $15 min. wage.Not.I will give her credit for getting the City Council discussing it.But the wage plan that is city law is not her’s but rather the City Council and the Mayor’s plan
So sad that my district voted (I didn’t) that crazy woman back in office.
Just for the record, I didn’t vote for her either (not in the last election and not in the one this year!).
I wish the best of hamsa and that he goes to paridise may god bless you hamsa was a strong kid always was ahead of his game that’s what I love about him.