A 16-year-old accused of firing shots at a Capitol Hill pizza parlor while intoxicated will remain in secure detention as prosecutors consider assault and robbery charges.
The incident began around 1:40 a.m. Thursday after the teen was kicked out of A Pizza Mart in the 1400 block of 11th Avenue. As he left in a Maserati, he fired a gun through the vehicle’s rear window at a security guard standing outside the restaurant, according to Seattle police.
The gunfire shattered glass and injured at least one person while narrowly missing several others, surveillance video shows. Officers arrested the teen at the scene. He was too intoxicated to be booked into juvenile detention until he received medical clearance at a hospital.
An Uber driver told officers the teen tried to carjack him before the shooting. “The respondent was holding a gun, and he attempted to get inside the front passenger-side door, but the victim in this case was able to overpower him,” a prosecutor said in court Friday. “So then he tried to open the rear door, and he said, ‘Open the door,’ but the victim locked the doors and fled. The state believes this was an attempted carjacking.”
The teen’s defense attorney argued his intent when approaching the Uber was unclear. The judge disagreed, saying it was clear he intended to commit a crime. The judge found probable cause for an assault charge related to the shooting. Prosecutors may add a robbery charge for the suspected carjacking attempt.
The teen is on probation in Snohomish County for taking a motor vehicle without permission. His mother and defense attorney asked the court to release him on electronic home monitoring so he can start a new job and receive mental health and substance use evaluations. His mother told the judge he is well-mannered, follows house rules, and helps get his siblings ready for school.
The judge ordered him to remain in custody, citing public safety concerns. Prosecutors have until next week to file formal charges. If charged, he returns to court next week for arraignment.
