On May 2, a fight reportedly broke out between two men at a Kent bar and quickly escalated into a shooting. One of the men was shot and killed.
Kent police were dispatched to a bar in the 1700 block of West Meeker Street late night May 2 after they received reports of a physical fight in the parking lot.
When a witness first reported the fight to a dispatcher, gunshots could be heard in the background. Other witnesses who called 911 told dispatchers a man was shot and not breathing, according to the Kent Police Department Facebook post.
The Kent police and Puget Sound Regional Fire quickly responded to the scene, where upon arrival, law enforcement found the suspect, a 25-year-old Kent resident, and the victim, a 30-year-old individual from Federal Way, inside the bar.
As police spoke with the suspect, who admitted to shooting the victim, other police and firefighters administered medical aid to the victim. However, the victim succumbed to his injuries. The King County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Roderick Loi Belford.
Some witnesses told police the two men started fighting inside the bar, then moved to the parking lot, where they physically fought.
Other witnesses said they saw the victim holding a gun outside before the shooting. When the suspect went back into the bar, the victim followed, and the suspect shot the victim multiple times, according to the Kent Police Department.
The police found the registered handgun on the suspect and reportedly found a second handgun inside the bar.
The suspect was taken into custody and booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder.
If anyone has information regarding this case, they can email KPDTipLine@kentwa.gov or call 253-856-5808 and refer to case #24-6200.
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