Victim in Bellevue nightclub shooting was a ‘beacon of positivity’

The victim in a Christmas Eve shooting at a Bellevue nightclub has been identified as 30-year-old DeShawn “D.Mill” Milliken of Seattle.

According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, Milliken died of multiple gunshot wounds.

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 inside the club, which is connected to Bellevue Square, an upscale shopping center 10 miles east of Seattle.

Milliken was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man was rushed to Overlake Medical Center, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the hand, a hospital spokesperson said.

In a blog post the day of the murder, a friend of Milliken’s posted this message:

You were Loved by many and it’s hurtful that someone took your life on Christmas Eve. I pray for Everlasting Healing to your family Today, Tomorrow and Future Holidays to come when you will be missed. I pray for strength for everyone who loved you to know that You made a Big Impact while you were on Earth as If you were in Heaven and not to feel a deep loss. You came and did exactly what you were meant to do. I am happy that our lives crossed paths my younger Brother. I will hold on to your kind words whenever we talked and know that you truly had a Kind heart.

A post on the online fundraising site YouCaring.com referred to Milliken as a “father, brother, son, uncle, grandson, friend, provider, protector and role model to many.”

A beacon of positivity, Deshawn touched many lives. For instance, he adopted a daughter, fed the less fortunate, and took care of numerous at-risk youths in the central district area that lacked father figures. He was the type of person that would you give you his car while he rode the bus. He was extremely caring, loving, protecting, and always willing to lend a helping hand.

A felony arrest warrant was issued late Monday for the suspected shooter, 19-year-old Ja’mari Alexander-Alan Jones, who remains at large.

He could be driving a white Nissan Maxima with Washington 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.

While a motive for the shooting has not been released, Bellevue Police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate said there were several physical altercations in the bar prior to the murder. She said police respond to fights at Munchbar every weekend and officers frequently patrol the area.

A spokesperson for the Washington State Liquor Control Board said Wednesday that they will look into possible enforcement actions against Munchbar after the Bellevue Police Department conducts their investigation.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Bellevue PD 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.