A late-night argument inside a Renton business ended in gunfire Tuesday, leaving a 35-year-old man dead on NE 4th Street and a 32-year-old suspect in jail as prosecutors move toward a murder case. A King County judge has found probable cause to hold the man in connection with the Tuesday-night shooting, and a bail hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Officers on scene tried to save the victim, but he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Officers were called just after 9:30 p.m. to the 3700 block of NE 4th Street, according to KIRO 7. When they arrived, an officer saw a driver in a black SUV trying to leave the area and ordered the vehicle to stop. The driver refused and took off, with a second officer following the SUV.
While officers were dealing with the departing SUV, another officer went into the business and found a 35-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The officer attempted life-saving measures, but the victim died at the scene, according to a Facebook post by the Renton Police Department.
How Police Tracked And Arrested The Suspect
Investigators say the SUV was later abandoned and the driver took off on foot. K9 teams and King County’s Guardian One helicopter searched for the suspect but could not find him during the initial sweep, as reported by the Renton Reporter.
Detectives later used body-worn camera footage and vehicle registration records to identify the SUV’s owner, who lived nearby, the paper reports. They formed a perimeter around his residence and arrested him shortly after midnight without incident.
Charges And Court Status
Prosecutors told a judge they intend to charge the 32-year-old with second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, although the judge agreed only to the murder count at the probable-cause hearing, according to KIRO 7. The suspect remains in custody and is due back in court for a bail hearing on Thursday. The Renton Police Department lists the investigation as case #26-992 in its Facebook update.
Witnesses told investigators the two men argued inside the business and that the confrontation turned physical before shots were fired. Authorities say they are still working to determine exactly what was said. Detectives are asking anyone with video or information that could help the investigation to contact Renton Police, according to the Renton Reporter.
