Kent man pleads guilty to I-5 drive-by shooting
Mar 24, 2026, 5:16 PM | Updated: 5:17 pm
WSP says this handgun recovered after last April's drive-by shooting. (Courtesy Washington State Patrol)
(Courtesy Washington State Patrol)
A Kent man has pleaded guilty to a drive-by shooting on I-5 that left a victim’s tire flattened and gas tank ruptured in April 2025.
Leo Aiomo, 40, of Kent, recently pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree and drive-by shooting, according to a news release from the Washington State Patrol (WSP).
The victim said Aiomo pulled alongside him, brandished a handgun, and then fired at his vehicle, while they were traveling northbound on I-5 near State Route 516 (SR 516). The bullet hit the right rear tire, causing it to go flat and rupturing the gas tank. Both vehicles exited at SR 516 and stopped at a red light, where Aiomo got out of his vehicle to confront the victim again.
Kent man’s face and name tag captured on video
The victim recorded the confrontation, capturing the suspect’s face and name tag on his work shirt, police said.
Using the video and the suspect’s license plate number, police tracked Aiomo to a home, where his brother convinced him to surrender, police said.
Aiomo consented to a search of his truck and home, where officers found the handgun. Aiomo was subsequently booked into the King County Jail for investigation of assault in the second degree and drive-by shooting.
“This is a great example of the tireless work that troopers and detectives do every day,” the release stated. “WSP is extremely thankful for the Kent Police Department providing immediate assistance, making it possible to take the suspect into custody without incident, a short time after the crime was committed.”
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
