2 more teens arrested in 13-year-old’s death while completing OfferUp sale in Kent

Update (7/29)

Two new suspects are in custody over a Kent shooting that left a 13-year-old boy dead on July 16.

Kent Police Assistant Chief, Jarod Kasner, said officers tracked down a 19-year-old and 17-year-old to a house in Covington, Thursday afternoon. Investigators said they negotiated with both suspects for a short time before they walked out of the house. They were arrested without incident.

“King County Prosecutors asked that they be held in secure detention and the court also found probable cause for murder and robbery for each of them,” Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecutor’s Office told KIRO Newsradio on Monday.

McNerthney said this kind of gun violence is, unfortunately, all too common and happens everywhere.

McNerthney: ‘We’re seeing increased gun use’

“We’re seeing more robberies turn into fatalities. We’re seeing more road rage incidents turn into fatal shootings. We’re seeing all kinds of increased gun use, not only among juveniles, but adults too,” McNerthney said.

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Selling online has become very popular and most people have, or know someone who has, bought or sold online. It’s a transaction filled with uncertainty and is potentially dangerous.

“You never know who is on the other end and you could be doing nothing wrong and a very tragic event can happen,” McNerthney said. “Never go to a meetup alone and always set the meet in a crowded, public place.”

“While there is no way to compensate for the loss,” Kent Police Assistant Chief, Jarod Kasner said regarding the 13-year-old’s family. “It is my hope that today’s arrests, in addition to the arrests made last week, provide them some measure of comfort.”

Original story (7/25)

A suspect is in custody over the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy that happened July 16 in Kent.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, Kent Police Department (KPD) officers and firefighters from the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority were dispatched to the Kentwood Apartments, a complex at 22400 Benson Road, in response to 911 calls that a man had been shot, according to a news release on the KPD’s Facebook page. Witnesses called to report that he had been shot in the stomach and was on the sidewalk.

According to court documents from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO), the 13-year-old, referred to as M.S. in obtained court documents, was part of a group accompanying a person, referred to as I.N., selling a camera through OfferUp. I.N., according to the documents, agreed to meet with a man at Turnkey Park to sell the $1,850 camera.

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Shooting breaks out during sale of camera in Kent

I.N., M.S., along with two other people referred to as S.L. and E.S., met with the man who was accompanied by a second man. While I.N. was negotiating the payment, a third man appeared and reportedly pulled a pistol from his sweatshirt. I.N. was pushed to the ground and his camera equipment was allegedly forcibly taken. I.N. then heard three to four gunshots and ran to hide.

After seeing the gun, M.S. and E.S. turned and ran toward their four-wheel ATV, stated court documents. While they were getting on the ATV, they heard another gunshot from behind. M.S. got on the ATV as the driver with E.S. seated behind him. M.S. then told E.S. he had been shot. The two drove off and saw the three men following them on foot.

Shortly after getting out of the park, M.S. lost consciousness so E.S. took over driving, according to court documents. E.S. drove the ATV to the Kentwood Apartments and sought the help of people standing outside. Someone called 911 and police and medics arrived. They tried to save the boy, but he died at the scene, KPD reported.

According to court documents, detectives then obtained a search warrant for I.N.’s OfferUp account and found messages sent by the man, leading to Southeast 275th Street in Kent. Detectives surveilled the area and saw a man leave the unit carrying the same backpack stolen from I.N.

Valley SWAT makes arrest in connection with shooting

After an hour, the man returned and Valley SWAT officers reportedly surrounded the unit, to which the man willingly exited and was arrested. Search warrants were issued and officers found the camera equipment in the unit, according to court documents.

The man, as reported by police, admitted to communicating and setting up the sale through OfferUp and also admitted three other suspects came to the sale. One of those suspects, he said, fired the gun at M.S. and E.S.

On July 19, there was a first appearance hearing for the man, according to KCPAO. The court found probable cause for murder in the first degree, attempted murder and robbery in the first degree. The man’s bail was set at $2 million.

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In an email to KIRO Newsradio, prosecutors stated they can make charging decisions when a case is referred by police investigators and that referrals are routinely sent after a first appearance hearing. Prosecutors expected to get a case referral on Tuesday but have not sent any further updates.

MyNorthwest does not name suspects until they have been officially charged.

James Lynch is a reporter at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of James’ stories here. Follow James on X, or email him here.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.

Contributing: Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio and Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

This story was originally published on July 17, 2024. It has been updated and republished since then.