'Chaos, madness': 1 dead in Bellevue nightclub shooting, Seahawks players present

BY Brandi Kruse  on December 24, 2012 @ 7:08 am (Updated: 2:22 am - 12/25/12 )

Police are investigating a shooting inside a club in Bellevue that left one person dead and another injured early Monday morning.

A felony arrest warrant was issued late Monday for the suspected shooter, 19-year-old Ja'mari Alexander-Alan Jones, who could be driving a white Nissan Maxima, WA license plate #AHZ1672.

Police consider him armed and dangerous.

Jones was one of three teens who police say was responsible for the beating death of the "Tuba Man," a beloved Seattle street musician. Ed McMichael, known for playing his tuba outside Seattle sporting events, was beaten and robbed at a bus stop near Seattle Center in October 2008. He died as a result of his injuries.

At approximately 1:10 a.m. Monday, police officers responded to reports of shots fired inside Munchbar, which is located at 505 Bellevue Way.

More than 600 people were at the club to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks' win over the San Francisco 49ers. No Seahawks players were involved in the incident, according to a tweet sent by defensive end Greg Scruggs just after 2 a.m. He said he and his teammates were not injured.

"From what we know, our guys were in a separate area and nobody was involved at all," Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll said at a press conference Monday, calling it a "very grave incident."

According to a spokesperson with the Bellevue Police Department, the lone victim is a 30-year-old man from Seattle who was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man was rushed to Overlake Medical Center in stable condition. He is being treated for a gunshot wound to the hand, a hospital spokesperson said.

"From what I understand, there were several incidents and altercations that were going on inside the Munchbar that may have led to the shooting," said Officer Carla Iafrate.

Kimberly Bowley, 24, of Renton, went to Munchbar with a group of friends. She said a fight broke out and a man was pushed on top of her.

"I pushed him off, and then my friend said ‘We need to go," she told KIRO Radio.

Seconds later, she said she heard five gunshots.

"I saw the gun shots. I saw it all because I was just right there," she said. "At first everybody just froze, then everybody dropped down to the ground. After we didn't hear any more bullets people just started getting up, screaming and crying and just booking it towards the door."

Jack Ballard, 31, of Kirkland, said he went to Munchbar after the Seahawks game to celebrate.

He was on the dance floor when shots were fired.

"They turned the music off and I thought there was just a fight," he said. "I'm calm, and then chaos ensues. People started running toward the exit and people were getting knocked over and trampled. It was chaos, madness."

As he exited, Ballard said he saw a man covered in blood.

"I saw the guy laying there and people were surrounding him," he said. "There was blood splatter all over the floor."

Aubrey O'Day, a reality TV star and former member of the girl band Danity Kane, tweeted that she was at Munchbar during the shooting.

"Seriously ppl just got shot n front of me. We hit the ground, never been in a situation like this. For real. Seattle, what's going on?!" she wrote. "Every1 was screaming on the floor, we had to crawl out the kitchen."

Iafrate said police respond to altercations at Munchbar every weekend and officers frequently patrol the area.

The Bellevue Police Department is asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact their tip line at 425-452-2564 or email pdtipline@bellevuewa.gov. If you have information on the whereabouts of Jones, you are asked to call 911 immediately. The public should not attempt to contact him.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (48)


  • Add A Comment

  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Oh thank goodness
    December 24, 2012 3:29 pm
    Shopping at Bellevue Square will not be impacted. (That should have been the headline) By chance was the shooter spotted heading south wearing any gold & red clothing? And like wow, that Aubrey O'Day could like totally be a war correspondent or something!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • anotherfencewalker wrote...
    Listen up dorks..!
    December 24, 2012 4:52 pm
    I didnt bring up the Seahawk "involvement" in this story, the media did. Brandi Kruse wrote the dam thing. You want a comment on the story? Write your own. If the media had a choice, they would have had a seahawk player shoot at police as they were driving up and one person dead at the scene. An CH, you're right. The police should "investigate the facts", but the reality is, that people dont want to wait for "facts". So the media starts filling in the blanks ahead of time. The juicy bits, right or wrong..If you all want to be suckers for the news media storys, then read on.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BigBlackGuy wrote...
    Seriously!
    December 24, 2012 5:15 pm
    It's one of the same kids who killed Tuba Man.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gingersnapd wrote...
    Face Palm!
    December 24, 2012 5:38 pm
    I guess he learned nothing from, what, 15 months? in juvie after his first murder.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019981363_shooting25m.html
    December 24, 2012 6:43 pm
    Yo Homeskillits
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gomariners wrote...
    hey
    December 24, 2012 7:50 pm
    the bar should have been a gun free zone and this never would have happened. Yep.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cash wrote...
    Shame
    December 24, 2012 11:05 pm
    On the judges around here who allow people like this to roam about freely when they clearly should have been locked up... Yes I blame you for knowingly and recklessly allowing this guy as well as the other thugs who kill people for their own enjoyment to be free. I am gussing if Tuba Man was one of your family members you might have actually tossed them into prison and perhaps the 30 year old dead guy just might not be dead now...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuba_man
    December 25, 2012 1:33 am
    I remember it like it was yesterday.So why is today's youth running around performing violence?How about cleaning up the culture of violence.The Democrat's think they can appropriate guns through legislation while at the same time NOT DOING SQUAT about the culture of violence well you got a big fight on your hands. Kind of like how Democrat's think they can raise taxes and not cut spending.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    More Guns More Guns More Guns More Guns . . . .
    December 25, 2012 1:47 am
    the answer is More Guns.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    CH
    December 25, 2012 7:33 am
    I assume your comment is sarcasm. Look into the Tuba Man killing and tell us how many guns were involved.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • grow up/get real wrote...
    Set a murder free and what do you get?
    December 25, 2012 7:09 am
    Another murder. Lots of shame to go around. Lots.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Hey Ja'mari or Jumanji or whatever your fracked up name is...
    December 25, 2012 7:26 am
    Stay in your own garbage neighborhood. It's getting close to needing to "District 9" your ilk since we seem unable to lock you up for anything.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    This clown...
    December 25, 2012 7:30 am
    should not be walking among us. Neither should that other clown involved in the Tuba Man killing. The just caught him with an AK in his trunk a few weeks ago.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hectic wrote...
    How?
    December 25, 2012 8:28 am
    How did a 19 year old thug get into an over 21 club in downtown Bellevue?? With a gun no less?! He had to have stood out like a sore thumb. Whoever was at the door should be fired, and sued!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Pugwamp wrote...
    I agree with Hectic.
    December 25, 2012 10:03 am
    Wow. Why did it take all the way to page 3 of the comments for someone to actually comment that on top of illegally possessing a firearm he was also illegally in the bar. I think it's time to see that establishment shuttered.

    all you retards were worrying about grammar. dooooosh bags!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    @ Pugwamp
    December 25, 2012 1:01 pm
    You forgot to capitalise your "a" in the word "all"... Also the "d" in "dooooosh" since these were new sentences. You also misspelled "dooooosh".

    Come on, you know that was good stuff... :~)

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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