A Portland father is on trial for shooting another father in the groin a year and a half ago, embroiling the Islamic school both of their children attend in drama.  

Noureddine Dib, 43, is charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault. He has claimed self-defense after being accused of shooting Michael Zakarneh, 49, in the parking lot of the Islamic School of Portland around pickup time on October 17, 2024.

According to surveillance footage played in court, Zakarneh approached Dib's car a little before 2.30pm, and the two men spoke briefly before Dib shot the other father once in the groin with a 9mm handgun.

Zakarneh could then be seen running away and leaping down a flight of stairs, breaking his ankle as Dib ran towards the school. As he ran, Dib could be seen slowing down to pat a child on the head.

Zakarneh made it to a gas station where he sought medical aid, while Dib went to the school's office, disassembled his weapon and called 911 to report the shooting. 

'I’m a peaceful person, but this guy keeps harassing me,' Dib said, according to the call audio played in court.

Multnomah County prosecutor Stephany Mgbadigha argued that Dib showed signs of premeditating the attack, because he 'took a loaded firearm to his children’s school.' She also emphasized that during the 911 call, Dib never said he feared for his life.

In court, the prosecution and defense discussed three prior verbal altercations between the men that ultimately escalated into the shooting. 

Defense attorney Kristen Winemiller said that Zakarneh's behavior during those altercations went far beyond harassment, according to an account of the court proceedings reported by The Oregonian. 

She cited an incident a year before the shooting when Zakarneh allegedly confronted a mother at the Islamic school and began screaming before Dib was forced to intervene because he feared for the woman's safety.

Winemiller also brought up an incident in September 2024 when Dib had honked his horn at Zakarneh, who had driven his pickup truck into the parking lot at high speed. The attorney said that her client had not recognized Zakarneh when he honked.

At an earlier hearing, prosecutors characterized that incident as Dib shouting at Zakarneh about the tow truck he used for work without any apparent reason. 

Winemiller said that a week after the tow truck encounter, Zakarneh had followed Dib home, causing the father to call 911 several times. Prosecutors rebutted that the two men lived close to each other and that Zakarneh was not following anyone.

At the earlier hearing, prosecutors also said that around that time, Zakarneh had greeted Dib in Arabic, saying Assalamu Alaikum. Dib allegedly later approached him, questioned the greeting and said, 'If you think you’re a big guy, I will f*** you up right now.'

Zakarneh also testified at the earlier hearing that Dib had flipped him off in front of his children the day before the shooting.

Winemiller characterized Zakarneh's approach to Dib's car on the day of the shooting as threatening, saying that the former 'charged' at the latter. 

She said that Dib feared for his life because he feared that he was about to be subjected to a 'vicious, felonious attack right outside his children’s school.' 

'It was the man who had been tormenting him for weeks, with mocking gestures and horrible derogatory language,' Winemiller said, according to The Oregonian. 'He remembers taking a single defense shot.'

Staff at the Islamic school and members of its adjacent mosque have been involved in the case since it began a year and a half ago. 

At a bail hearing in 2024, the principal of the school and leaders of the mosque submitted letters to the court requesting that Dib be granted bail. 

They and the father's family said Dib is a peaceful man who never posed a danger to anyone.

Dib had no criminal history before the shooting in 2024. His trial is expected to run into next week.