Man charged with murder in fatal South Seattle hookah lounge shooting
Jan 5, 2026, 5:54 PM
The scene after a shooting in a Seattle hookah lounge. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A suspect was arrested for a fatal shooting at a South Seattle hookah lounge last month.
According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), the shooting happened at the Evangadi Hookah Lounge on Rainier Avenue S. on Dec. 1.
The suspect, Abdulrahman Hussein, 30, has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly killing Khalif Hussein.
Casey McNerthney, director of communications for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, said a break in the case came when someone saw the suspect trying to flee on a Lime scooter. SPD officers subpoenaed Lime records and found an email address, which led them to the suspect.
Hussein is currently being held on $3 million bail.
Seattle hookah lounge will not reopen
The owner, Firew Berjia, agreed to shut down his business permanently rather than go through the time and expense to fight to keep his business open.
In his decision, Barnes cited multiple violations of the Seattle Nightlife Ordinance, which requires businesses to shut down at 2 a.m. unless they have a liquor license with an after-hours activity permit. The business also had a number of violent and drug-related incidents at the lounge.
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