A disturbance inside a Rainier Beach liquor store escalated into gunfire Monday evening when a man opened fire at an employee after drinking unpaid bottles of alcohol and stripping inside the store.
Seattle police arrested a 49-year-old man accused of shooting at the employee. On Feb. 23 around 5 p.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting report inside a business in the 9200 block of Rainier Avenue South. Police met with the victim, who was not injured, and found the suspect still inside the store.
Investigators determined the man entered the liquor store and began opening alcohol bottles from display cases and drinking them without paying. He then began removing his clothing, including his shirt, shoes, and pants. When the store clerk confronted him, the suspect pulled out a gun and fired at the clerk, narrowly missing him. The employee fled the store and called 911.
Officers arrived within minutes, formed a tactical team, and approached the suspect. He was arrested without incident, and officers recovered the gun. Police also recovered marijuana and a modified cigarette from the suspect that officers believed was stuffed with PCP.
The suspect was booked into King County Jail for felony assault.
