Suspect in Munchbar shooting a 19-year-old with familiar rap sheet

BY Chris Sullivan  on December 26, 2012 @ 5:43 am (Updated: 5:36 am - 1/3/13 )

jamairjones_tubamankiller_munchbarsuspect.jpg
The suspect in the Munchbar shooting is 19-year-old Ja'mari Jones. He's accused of firing at least five shots inside the packed bar, killing one man, 30, and injuring another. (Photo courtesy Bellevue Police) | Zoom
The man suspected of opening fire inside a packed Bellevue bar Sunday night is one of the three teens convicted of killing Seattle street musician Ed "Tuba Man" McMichael in 2008.

The suspect in the Munchbar shooting is 19-year-old Ja'mari Jones. He's accused of firing at least five shots inside the packed bar, killing one man, 30, and injuring another.

Jones is one of the three teens who beat Ed "Tuba Man" McMichael to death outside Seattle Center in 2008.

Jones, Billy Chambers and Kenneth Kelly all served about 36 weeks in juvenile detention for the murder.

That was all the time prosecutors could get because no witnesses to the beating came forward. The lack of time has always bothered McMichael's family.

"I didn't get that feeling that they were remorseful for what they had done," Kelsey McMichael, brother of Ed told KING 5 Tuesday.

Since Tuba Man's murder, the three teens have all continued to get into trouble.

Kelly and Chambers have faced weapons charges and been in jail for assault. Now Jones is accused of killing a man Sunday night in Bellevue.

"We always thought the punishment they received for killing my brother was much too light," McMichael previously told KIRO Radio's Dori Monson.

Now another family is going through what his did, allegedly at the hands of one of the same men. Said Kelsey, "Now they're showing their true colors. They need to be punished.

Ja'Mari Jones is considered armed and dangerous.

Police don't know how the 19-year-old got into the bar Sunday night, and they don't know how he got his hands on a gun.

Jones is believed to be driving a white Nissan Maxima, Washington license plate AHZ1672. Police urge the public to not contact Jones, but if they see him, call 911.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (52)


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  • dori monson fan wrote...
    still armed, dangerous?
    December 26, 2012 11:15 am
    what do you mean by armed? he still has both feet?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JMGilday wrote...
    you knew this was going to happen
    December 26, 2012 11:31 am
    everyone knew.

    Now put the prosecutor and judge from the original Tuba Man murder in jail for 5 years and MAYBE they will get the idea that we don't pay them to be politically correct.

    We pay them to protect us from animals.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • awbitf wrote...
    The concensus from the comments seems to be
    December 26, 2012 12:00 pm
    we need to move to a one strike scenario and "lock these punks up for life" because our corrections system of reform is not working.

    At least the construction industry will see a quick boom from the number of new prisons that will need to be built, but alas, more guards = more state union employees, and they better not raise my taxes to keep these people locked up!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • lawman1214 wrote...
    All a big misunderstanding
    December 26, 2012 12:31 pm
    Come on now, this is clearly a case of the GUN inserting its self into this poor, troubled child's ( I say child because the media will surely use a ninth grade picture of him if he made it that far in school) hand and killing for no reason other than the GUN get's off on it. I think the BULLETS may have conspiried with the GUN to commit the crime, but it will be hard to prove they're intent?
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  • artimus wrote...
    This guy would be in jail
    December 26, 2012 12:53 pm
    ...if only we had more guns. More more more more...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kpmccdog wrote...
    It's not the prosecuters fault
    December 26, 2012 1:09 pm
    In this instance the 36weeks in Juvenile was all tthe prosecuter could get, none of the witnesses would come forward to allow him a strong enough case to go for more, Society needs to assist the prosecutors and judges, No witness no crime.
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  • dori monson fan wrote...
    is the "victim" from munchbar the same deshawn milliken
    December 26, 2012 1:33 pm
    that was arrested April 2, 2001 at the age of 18 in Seattle for the mardigras assult and rioting, and everyone came to court to say he was a great kid even though he had two prior assult charges as a juvenile? maybe this was just a thug fight that cleaned up the streets a little bit? http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20010403&slug=mardigras03m
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  • sghouse wrote...
    I thought that name sounded familiar
    December 26, 2012 3:29 pm
    both victim and shooter are prime examples of the high class clientele of the "MunchBar". It's been reported that police are called to disturbances weekly at this business. Maybe cops should setup a warrant check at the exit door, probably catch half of the known criminals in King county.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    This Vermin....
    December 26, 2012 1:59 pm
    ...needs to go away for a very long time.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    Awbitf, you sound slike a lib idiot
    December 26, 2012 3:06 pm
    If you were being sarcastic, then I apologize. If you were being serious then yes, this turd had his one strike and I will happily have the tax dollars I've already paid go to build a prison to house him and all of his friends.
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  • Saltchucker wrote...
    Tuba Mans legacy.
    December 26, 2012 3:25 pm
    Used to love to see the Tuba Man outside all the Seattle events I would attend. Now all we ever hear about him is whatever new crime the trio of thugs who killed him are up to lately. How many victims of these three will it take before they qualify for some sort of a class action suit? Can't wait for Dori Monson to get back from vacation, as these ne-er do wells have been on his hit list for a while. As for Tuba Man....is there any recordings of him playing his instrument out there? I'd much rather the media trumpet the Tuba than plaster the faces of his killers all the time.
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  • hpitantso wrote...
    Perfect example that we don't need more laws... Rnd fan
    December 26, 2012 11:43 pm
    Bellevue has major issue with big crime, and inforcement
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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