SEATTLE — A man accused of killing someone over an alleged fight stemming from a car accident made his first appearance in court on Monday.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning in Seattle’s White Center neighborhood.
Police were called to an area near Whateke Sports Bar on 16th Ave. SW around 12:40 a.m. for reports of a shooting.
While the dispatch call was going out, shots could be heard in the background.
When they arrived, they found a 52-year-old down on the ground who appeared to have been shot in the abdomen. Another person had run into Whateke with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and back.
Both were sent to Harborview Medical Center, but the man who had been shot in the abdomen later died from his injuries.
The two victims appear to be related.
The 23-year-old accused shooter was found at the scene and taken into custody without incident.
He told police that he was with his two cousins that whole night, and that he followed them to White Center, according to documents. The suspect told officers that it appeared one of his cousins fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a parked car.
He said that when he tried to wake his cousin up, two men were also trying to grab the sleeping man. The suspect told officers that one of them threatened to beat him up and shoot him, according to court documents.
The suspect said that he then took out a Glock from his car’s front console and began firing at the men several times. One was hit in the abdomen and one was hit while running away, court docs said.
A witness, one of the sons of the victims, said punches were thrown by his father because he was trying to stop the accused shooter from leaving the scene of the crash.
The 23-year-old was booked for second-degree investigation of murder and first-degree assault.
Prosecutors asked that bail be set at $2 million.
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