Kent Police are reporting that on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at about 6:37 p.m., Patrol Officers were dispatched to the 18000 block of S. 248th Street (map below) where they found a man who had been shot in the head.
Officers were advised that one male victim had been shot behind the YMCA, and the suspect was seen fleeing northbound into the neighborhood.
The first two Officers quickly arrived on scene and located the male victim, a 30-year-old Bothell resident, at the park bench. The victim had a gunshot wound to his head. The Officers immediately began CPR and continued until Medics arrived.
The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition with life threatening injuries.
As of Friday morning, the victim was on life support.
Multiple Kent Patrol Officers flooded into the area to search for the fleeing suspect. A Kent K9 team tracked through the neighborhood, and Washington State Patrol assisted in the search with their Air Support Unit. Despite a prolonged and intense effort, the suspect was not located.
The suspect was described by witnesses as “a tall, skinny black male in his 20s, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans”.
Just prior to the shooting, the victim was sitting on a bench and was approached by the suspect. Witnesses saw a heated argument, then a struggle, then saw the suspect shoot the victim in the head.
Kent Police Violent Crimes Detectives responded to the scene to conduct the investigation. They are aggressively gathering evidence and conducting interviews to identify the suspect.
If you know something about this incident, please call 911, or leave a tip at 253-856-5808 or [email protected].
