Kent Police chief says detectives close to solving two recent shootings

Fatal shooting at Kent Station theater; injury of 8-year-old boy inside vehicle on 104th Avenue SE

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Detectives are close to solving a recent fatal shooting at Kent Station and a shooting along 104th Avenue SE that injured an 8-year-old boy.

Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla updated each case in response to questions from Kent City Councilmember Satwinder Kaur during his June 20 Public Safety report to the council.

“It was targeted,” Padilla said about the 12:18 a.m. June 13 shooting inside the AMC Theatre at Kent Station, 425 Ramsay Way. “The event was related to a shooting in another city. It’s just a matter of time before the case will be solved.”

Abubakar Ahmed, 19, of Tukwila, died of a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Two shots were fired inside the theater, according to police.

Officers found Ahmed just inside the south entrance doors to the theater. Ahmed was receiving CPR from one of his friends, according to Kent Police. Officers began lifesaving efforts. Because the location of the shooter was unknown, officers carried Ahmed out of the theater to a safe location where medics had just arrived. He died at the scene.

The suspect was described as a dark-skinned male about 5 feet 11 inches tall wearing a ski mask, according to police. Police impounded three vehicles that may have been involved in the incident.

In the shooting of the Auburn 8-year-old boy inside a vehicle, Padilla said detectives are putting a case together.

“We have solid leads in the case,” Padilla said. “I’m very confident the case will be wrapped up soon.”

The boy was shot along 104th Avenue SE near SE 236th Street at about 5:39 p.m. June 12.

Padilla said the target was the male driver of the vehicle that included the 8-year-old boy. The boy’s mother and two other children also were in the vehicle. The boy is recovering from his wounds, according to police.

“It was very specific that the male driver was targeted,” Padilla said. “I’m not sure what preceded that. The children were caught up in that.”

Padilla said even though there were children in the car, that didn’t deter the shooter.

The incident began at 108th Avenue SE and SE 240th Street at about 5:39 p.m. A vehicle followed the vehicle of the boy’s mother northbound on 108th Avenue SE, then westbound on SE 236th Street to 104th Avenue SE, according to police. The suspect vehicle was last seen fleeing from the area of SE 236th Street and 104th Avenue SE after the shooting.


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