BELLEVUE, Wash. — Bellevue police have arrested an 18-year-old suspect after a fatal shooting in the parking lot of the AMC theater at Factoria Mall on Wednesday night.
Police said two young men were seen talking in the parking lot shortly before the shooting, but it’s not clear how the victim and suspect knew each other. Then one man pulled out a shotgun and opened fire.
Witnesses found the victim, a man in his late teens, in the parking lot and began rendering aid until police arrived. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
The Bellevue Police Department tweeted around 9:30 p.m. that this is now a homicide investigation.
Investigators said the suspect fled the scene in a silver sedan with tinted windows and front passenger-side damage.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident just before noon in Renton, where police found the same silver sedan outside a home.
Officers took a person of interest into custody just before noon in last night's shooting at the Factoria cinema. Detectives located this 18-year-old in Renton and he was taken into custody without incident. The car was located at the residence. pic.twitter.com/m4GkEXZa3z
— Bellevue, WA Police (@BvuePD) July 8, 2021
KIRO 7 talked to woman who was in the movie theater when the shooting happened. She said Bellevue police came into the theater and told the audience to shelter in place, and the theater stopped the movie.
“It’s not super shocking because it’s been happening a lot lately, but it is disappointing because you do want to have a peace of mind in your community and just to be able to go to a movie theater and not worry about anything like that happening. But nowadays you do have to consider it,” said moviegoer Jorgina Rios. “It’s scary.”
Bellevue police said they do not believe there is a threat to the community.
Homicides are rare in Bellevue, but this is the second fatal shooting to take place in Bellevue this week after another murder on Monday.
The victim has passed. This is now a homicide investigation. The suspect fled the scene in a silver sedan with tinted windows. It has front passenger side damage.
— Bellevue, WA Police (@BvuePD) July 8, 2021
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