Mohamed Deq Mohamed

Mohamed Deq Mohamed is remembered as a young man whose life was tightly connected to family, friendship and the game of soccer. A member of the Rochester Somali community, Mohamed traveled with close friends to Columbus, Ohio, for a weekend soccer tournament in April 2017. Those who knew him recall a shared love of sport and the companionship of longtime friends.

On April 17, 2017, Mohamed was among three Rochester men who were shot while visiting Columbus. Reports from local and regional news outlets identify him as one of the young men wounded in the attack; his friend Omar Abdulkadir Ali was pronounced dead at the scene. Mohamed was transported to Mount Carmel West Hospital in critical condition. Several sources indicate Mohamed later succumbed to his injuries a few days after the shooting. Family members and community supporters sought answers and offered a reward for information, and community fundraising pages were created to support medical and funeral needs.

Public records and contemporary news coverage place Mohamed within a circle of friends who shared childhood ties in Rochester and a passion for soccer. Beyond the limited public details about the events in Columbus, available accounts emphasize the shock felt by the Rochester community and the efforts of family and friends to support one another after the loss. While the public record about Mohamed’s life is brief, it is clear he mattered to people who traveled with him, supported him, and remembered him as part of their community.

Mohamed’s life—centered on relationships, community, and sport—is what friends and family honor. The pages and fundraisers created in the days after the shooting reflect the care of those who survived him and the desire for answers. This remembrance holds his name and the fact of his life before the tragedy: a young man whose place among family, teammates, and friends is not erased by how he died.