Fellow band member talks about friends slain in shooting
May 31, 2012, 9:44 AM | Updated: Oct 11, 2024, 1:33 pm
Drew Keriakedes |
A man that played in a band with two of the victims of the
shooting rampage Wednesday in Seattle says the men he knew
that were lost were “fantastic people.”
“It’s really such a sad, shocking loss to have them both
gone,” says Kevin Hinshaw.
Hinshaw’s band mates, Joe Albanese, 52, and Drew
Keriakedes, 45, who were killed when a gunman entered a
Seattle cafe and shot five people, have been described as
inseparable best friends and roommates.
“They’d always be together […] They were always
mentioned together. It was Joe and Drew,” says Hinshaw.
“They were real good friends, somehow not surprising that
they would go out together too.”
The men lived in the neighborhood nearby Cafe Racer where
the shootings occurred. Hinshaw says they were at the
cafe all the time and offered regular musical performances
for patrons.
The gunman, later identified by the media as Ian Stawicki,
also frequented the establishment, but reports indicate
he’d caused trouble on occasion.
Hinshaw says the cafe has always had a real family feel,
and he’s not surprised the establishment would welcome
even someone who seemed troubled.
“People there were friends that knew each other and would
see each other their frequently,” says Hinshaw. “It
doesn’t surprise me that they would be open to somebody
who was trying to become part of that family too. That
they would be open to trying to help them fit in and be
welcoming to them.”
Listen to Hinshaw’s full conversation about his late
friends on Ross and Burbank:
By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor
You might also be interested in: