Sammamish tragedy: Man allegedly shoots wife, flees to Seattle with infant son
Feb 4, 2025, 2:39 PM | Updated: 7:15 pm
Case heard in King County Superior Court. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
A Sammamish man is facing a second-degree murder charge after allegedly shooting and killing his wife of two weeks in their home last Thursday, just one day after purchasing a gun. The suspect then fled to Seattle with their 1-year-old son.
The 35-year-old man is in jail after a King County judge held him in the death of 36-year-old Yiwen Lu. According to Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, he is being held in King County Jail on $3 million bail.
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Sammamish home, the scene of a possible murder
According to court documents, attorney Andrea Kim contacted the King County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 30 to report a possible shooting at the couple’s home. She indicated that someone at the location had life-threatening injuries and the caller had left with his son. Due to attorney-client privilege, she provided no further details.
Deputies arrived at the scene to find a woman in bed with a gunshot wound to her cheek and two shell casings nearby. A firearm was discovered in another room next to a drum set, with the gun clip removed.
Detective Laura Peckham was briefed by Sergeant Kim, who had contacted Andrea Kim. Kim provided a video showing the child, dubbed E.L. in court documents, safe at an aunt’s home in Queen Anne. Detectives confirmed the child’s well-being at the residence.
Attorney Andrea Kim stated she received a call from a distressed client, prompting her to contact 911. The client later met with detectives at Sammamish City Hall and was taken into custody. A 9mm Ruger registered to Brent was recovered from the home.
The man appeared in court, where probable cause was found for second-degree murder. The court set bail at $3 million. Prosecutors anticipate receiving a case referral for a charging decision later this week.
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Brent remains in King County Jail, and no previous cases have been referred to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Editors’ note of clarification: The suspect in this murder case purchased a gun a day before the shooting of the victim. But official documents don’t state that particular gun was used in the commission of this crime or any other crime.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
