Metro bus shooting suspect faces life in prison as three-strike offender
Jul 15, 2026, 5:04 PM | Updated: 5:04 pm
A King County Metro bus heads to Georgetown. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A Seattle man charged with shooting a passenger on a King County Metro bus could face life in prison as a three-strike offender.
Rashad Mackey, 36, is accused of firing into the bus near Fifth Avenue South and South Lander Street on July 5, hitting a man in the chest. At last check, the victim was in critical condition.
Suspect threatened to ‘smoke’ people on Metro bus, witness says
Prosecutors said Mackey accused people on the bus of taking his cell phone. He threatened, according to one witness, to “smoke” people on the bus. He got off the bus and opened fire as it pulled away, according to charging documents.
On bus surveillance video, the victim said, “‘I have been shot.’ He can be seen grabbing his chest and pulling down his shirt collar to see the wound,” the documents stated.
Another passenger used the victim’s cell phone to call 911.
“The defendant’s behavior in this case, firing repeatedly into an occupied metro bus, is unconscionably violent and demonstrates a complete disregard for human life,” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brynn N. H. Jacobson wrote. “The victim, who was seated on the side of the bus the defendant fired on, was shot in the chest. His condition on scene was dire. He crashed more than once on the way to the hospital. The miraculous improvement in his condition is due entirely to the hard work and skill of medical providers.”
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Prior felony convictions; released from prison last November
Mackey has prior felony convictions for assault and illegal gun possession and was released from prison last November.
Last Friday, Mackey reported to the Department of Corrections (DOC) office in Des Moines to meet his DOC officer, the documents stated. He was arrested and booked into the King County jail for investigation of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.
He is also a suspect in a separate knife assault on a bus in February 2026, according to the documents.
Mackey is set to be arraigned on a first-degree assault charge Thursday morning. His bail is set at $5 million.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
