This article has been reposted from the SeattleTimes.com website – because they will no longer accept comments (they say they are unable to moderate).
A 19-year-old man suspected by police in the shooting death of a man at a Bellevue bar early Monday was convicted in the 2009 fatal beating of the Seattle street musician known as “Tuba Man.”
The shooting occurred in the Mirror Lounge at Munchbar, a restaurant/bar at Bellevue Square, around 1:10 a.m., according to Bellevue police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate. About 600 people were inside the bar when about five gunshots were fired. A 30-year-old Seattle man was killed and another man injured.
Police said Ja’mari Alexander-Alan Jones is the suspected shooter, and obtained a warrant for his arrest Monday. His car is described as a white Nissan Maxima with Washington state license number AHZ1672. Police consider him armed and dangerous.
While it appears there was only one shooter, police haven’t ruled anything out, Iafrate said earlier Monday. Witnesses gave conflicting descriptions of the gunman, she said.
The identity of the dead man has not been released.
Iafrate said there is surveillance video from the scene and detectives “are working on all of those details.”
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, telling local media they dived for cover as gunfire erupted. Many people had gathered at the bar to watch the Seahawks game and celebrate the team’s blowout victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Several Seahawks were at the bar but were not in the area where the shooting occurred, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said in a Monday news conference.
“From what we know, our guys were in a separate area, and nobody was involved at all,” Carroll said. “A very grave incident, but fortunately the guys that we are with are fine. They’re OK. It’s too bad. An awful thing that happened.”
Witnesses told KING 5 that the football players were in a VIP lounge and were escorted to safety after the shooting.
Reality-TV star Aubrey O’Day claimed she was with the players. Early Monday, she tweeted, “Seriously ppl just got shot n front of me. We hit the ground, never been in a situation like this. For real. Seattle, what’s going on?!”
Jones was one of three teens sentenced to juvenile detention after pleading guilty in April 2009 to manslaughter in the death of 53-year-old Ed “Tuba Man” McMichael. The musician was beaten during an October 2008 robbery near Seattle Center and later died of his injuries.
Another of the teens, in an unrelated case, is facing federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Billy Chambers could get a 10-year sentence, three years of probation and a $250,000 fine if found guilty.
Jennifer Leavitt, vice president of marketing for Kemper Development, said in a statement that the company is “deeply saddened” by the shooting inside Munchbar. Kemper Development owns Bellevue Square. Leavitt said the development company, run by chairman and CEO Kemper Freeman, is assisting Bellevue police with their investigation.
“The security and safety of our guests and employees are of the utmost importance and our number one concern and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with the police. Today, our thoughts and sympathies are with family and friends of the victim and those who responded to the incident,” Leavitt’s statement read.
Munchbar was closed on Monday while police investigated.
Iafrate said the shooting investigation did not impact holiday shopping at Bellevue Square.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Bellevue Police Department Tipline at 425-452-2564 or email: pdtipline@belleveuewa.gov.
It’s really a sad state of our country when we can convict 3 people of killing a very innocent man – and then let them out to kill again.
It should not matter how old they are or were – if they have killed once, we cannot give them another chance.
Anyone have any thoughts on why a 19 year old was in the bar anyway? How did he get in – and who is responsible for that?
Do bars like the Munch need metal detectors?
No redemption here. Perhaps accountability needs to be extended all around when it comes to being too loose with second chances and rehabilitation. If we not only hold those directly responsible for the killing(s) but also the judges and legislators for this failed social experiment, perhaps this would have been less likely to have happened?
Imagine locking up the entire group who wrote the laws and the judge who let them off so easily in juvenile court along with these perps when they get sentenced for their additional crimes. Do you think most of these idiots just might think twice about the consequences of their actions?
It was certainly clear from the outset when Tuba Man was killed with absolutely no remorse that this group was sociopathic with not even a spark of conscience at their sentencing. None. At some point, you have to stop blaming society and everyone down the line for their pathetic worthless lives and instead look at what we just lost: Tuba Man was a Seattle icon who brought joy to many and the latest victim was a great loss to his local community. Many lives will be affected directly and indirectly. In every single picture or video of each of these animals, I have never seen a glimmer of conscience or soul behind their eyes. After the first sentencing, most of us probably knew it wouldn’t be the last time we’d hear about them.
I’ve long proposed that if we want to be truly politically correct, perhaps we should begin teaching these animals all about things like the environment and reincarnation. Then we’ll simply tell them we’re going to recycle them into a better life. End of story – nice and simple.
Nothing anyone can tell me about forgiveness and redemption will ever change my mind. Or bring those victims back.