Judge revises Shawn Kemp sentence, adds one day jail time for Tacoma Mall shooting
Sep 19, 2025, 1:20 PM | Updated: 1:22 pm
Former NBA player, Shawn Kemp is seen on the field prior to a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills. (Photo: Jane Gershovich, Getty Images)
(Photo: Jane Gershovich, Getty Images)
A judge on Friday revised the sentence for former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp, adding one day of confinement — with credit for time served — in connection with a 2023 shooting outside Tacoma Mall.
Kemp had originally avoided jail time, but prosecutors questioned whether that lack of jail time was legal.
Along with the revised sentence, Kemp will still be required to serve 30 days of electronic home monitoring and complete 240 hours of community service.
Prior to Kemp’s original sentencing in August, prosecutors were pushing for a nine-month jail sentence after Kemp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault. Kemp was arrested after he shot at a car outside the Tacoma Mall. Kemp had tracked his stolen phone to the mall and fired three shots at the suspects. No one was injured. Kemp told on-scene officers that he had fired the gun in self-defense.
The judge acknowledged that Kemp put multiple lives at risk when he repeatedly shot a gun outside the Tacoma Mall. However, the judge offered leniency due to Kemp’s claim of acting in self-defense.
Kemp vowed to advocate for gun violence prevention moving forward.
“I recognize the mistake, and that’s a tough process to go through, but I’m definitely glad it’s over,” Kemp said after the sentencing.
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Shawn Kemp’s stake in pot business
Until the sentencing, Kemp faced uncertainty about his partial ownership of Kemp’s Cannabis.
Brian Smith, communications director at the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board, said felony convictions make it difficult to renew a cannabis license.
“It’s up to the board to make those decisions,” Smith said. “Our guidelines say no. If you are convicted of a felony within 10 years, our guidelines say not to go forward with that license.”
Licenses to operate a cannabis business are required and must be renewed annually. Kemp has a 10% ownership in Kemp’s Cannabis, according to Smith.
If Kemp were denied a cannabis license renewal, Smith said, there are options available to keep the businesses operating.
“The board even has the option of only letting it go forward without him on the license,” Smith said. “Or the other members [business co-owners] could ask him to leave. That’s a business decision on their end.”
KIRO Newsradio reached out to Kemp’s Cannabis for comment, but has not heard back.
Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest
