RENTON, Wash. — A shooting spree that spanned three different locations from Renton to SeaTac last week ended with the arrest of 32-year-old Mamadou Diallo.
Diallo is now charged with one count of first-degree assault and two counts of attempted murder in the first degree.
There’s still no official motive for why Diallo targeted these three men, but court documents show that race may have played a factor.
“At first, we thinking this guy maybe he might have some problem with the guy, the shooter. But after we heard on the news saying he just doesn’t like any black people, then we said it might be me, might be other guys, " said Zakariya Adam, who works with one of the victims at a Kia dealership in Renton.
Court documents say that “several times during the interview, Diallo stated that he does not like socializing or being around black people.”
The documents also say that Diallo told detectives, “you know how they are,” and “they’re always killing each other.”
According to court documents, Diallo is black.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Adam said.
The first shooting happened on Jan. 12 on Rainier Avenue South in Renton, and the second one just about a mile away at a Kia dealership, according to officials.
The third shooting happened in SeaTac at the intersection of 160th and 34th Avenue South.
Adam said his coworker stepped outside, and that’s when the shooting happened.
“Before the door was back, I heard the gunshot,” he said.
Court documents say that Diallo shot each of the three men multiple times.
All three were taken to Harborview Medical Center for their injuries. Adam’s coworker has since been released.
“I asked the guy. He said oh, he’s doing okay. He will return back to work soon,” Adam said.
As of Jan. 15, the other two men are still in critical condition at Harborview.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said hate crime charges could still be added.
“This the world that we live in. Some people, they just have some different ideas, and some people have their own issues, and those issues they want to hurt innocent people, and that’s not right,” Adam said.
Diallo will be in court on Feb. 1 for his arraignment, where he will enter an initial plea.
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