A regular customer at Doofers Bar & Grill in the East Renton Highlands is expected to recover after being shot outside the restaurant late Sunday night, and the bar's own bartender may be the reason he survived. The man drifted in and out of consciousness as a longtime bartender held pressure on his gunshot wound, assisted by a customer, until first responders arrived on scene.
King County Sheriff's deputies were called to the restaurant, located at 16430 SE 128th St, just after 11 p.m. Sunday and found the man suffering from a gunshot wound, according to MyNorthwest.com. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and Doofers ownership reported that his injuries are non-life-threatening, according to KIRO 7. Deputies are still working to locate a possible suspect who fled the scene.
A Dispute That Spilled Over From a Wedding Next Door
Doofers co-owner Nick Routos told the outlet that the shooting followed a verbal argument outside between the victim, described as a regular customer, and a man wearing a chest satchel who had come over from a wedding party at the adjacent El Metropolitan Banquet Hall. Staff and ownership say they have dealt with recurring safety and violence concerns tied to events at the neighboring venue for several years, though news outlets reported the banquet hall did not respond to requests for comment.
Three gunshots rang out before the bartender rushed to help. Per the same account, the bartender has worked at Doofers for years and did not hesitate to apply pressure to the wound while the victim faded in and out of consciousness, keeping him stable until paramedics took over.
Sheriff's Deputies, Not Renton Police, Lead the Investigation
Because Doofers sits in the East Renton Highlands, an unincorporated pocket of King County outside city limits, the case falls to the King County Sheriff's Office rather than the Renton Police Department, according to Visit Renton. The investigation has been assigned to the sheriff's office's Major Crimes Unit, a squad of two sergeants and 12 detectives on call around the clock to handle homicides, felony assaults, and active suspect searches across unincorporated county territory, per the King County Sheriff's Office.
The shooting at Doofers came less than six hours after deputies responded to a separate incident in nearby Skyway, where a child was injured by shattered glass during an exchange of gunfire between two moving vehicles, as Hoodline's earlier report detailed. Deputies in that case located both vehicles shortly after responding, according to MyNorthwest.com, illustrating a busy Labor Day weekend for county law enforcement in unincorporated King County.
A Neighborhood Fixture Since 1973
Doofers has deep roots in the area. The business opened in 1973 as the Griff-Inn Tavern before Gus Routos bought it in 1982, later expanding it in 2000 into a family-friendly sports bar that runs as an all-ages restaurant until 10 p.m. before shifting to a 21-and-over establishment, according to the bar's own account of its history.
It remains unclear whether deputies have identified or located the suspect described as wearing a chest satchel, or whether investigators have recovered video surveillance from the strip mall or the banquet hall. Also unresolved is whether county officials or the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board will examine the recurring safety complaints tied to the plaza; under state regulations tied to RCW 66.24, licensed alcohol establishments where violent incidents occur can face administrative compliance reviews or safety enforcement actions.
If deputies do need to track a fleeing suspect on the ground, they have air support close by. The King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit flies its Guardian 1 Bell 407GXi helicopter, equipped with thermal sensors and searchlights, out of Renton Municipal Airport six days a week, as Hoodline reported after the unit helped nab fleeing suspects last month.
