The suspect in the shooting that seriously wounded two men outside the Muckleshoot Casino late Saturday night made his first court appearance at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent on Monday afternoon on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault.
Because prosecutors have not formally charged the man, a 63-year-old Renton resident, with a crime, the Reporter is not disclosing his name. The court set bail at $500,000 bail. The suspect’s second court appearance is Nov. 20.
The two victims remain in serious condition at an area hospital.
According to the determination for certification of probable cause filed by Auburn Police — an account largely based on what the suspect told police — the suspect had been driving with his wife without incident through the parking garage of the casino shortly before 8:45 p.m. when two men who had been walking near his car, Brian Beasley and Daniel Mora, confronted him.
According to the police account, Mora walked over to the driver’s door and began swearing at the suspect. When the suspect removed his Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun from under his seat, according to the account, Mora began taunting him, telling him to shoot.
According to the account, the suspect started to drive slowly down the ramp but stopped at the exit when he noticed that Beasley and Mora were still following him. According to the police account, Mora then walked up, kicked the man’s car and tried to open the driver door, which the suspect knew was locked. The suspect, according to the account, then fired one shot at Mora, who ran off toward the casino, with the suspect in foot pursuit.
According to the account, “Beasley fell down and crawled toward a bush, crouched down.” The suspect then stopped at the bush and, from less than 3 feet away, according to the account, fired into Beasley’s upper back one shot, which exited at the front of his throat. According to the account, Beasley then got up and ran off with the suspect in pursuit. About 30 feet on, according to the account, the suspect found Mora hiding in some bushes. The suspect fired at least one shot into Mora’s chest, which collapsed his lung. As Mora ran off, according to the account, the suspect kept shooting at him.
According to the police account, the suspect later admitted to police that he’d been upset with Mora and Beasley for their comments and for kicking his car. According to the account, he admitted he had not been fear for his or his wife’s safety as he chased the men. He also acknowledged, according to the police account, that neither Beasley nor Mora had any weapons in their hands.
