Not guilty pleas in Kent gas station killings
Sep 8, 2014, 1:09 PM | Updated: 2:41 pm
The man accused of starting a fight and then gunning down two people at a Kent gas station pleaded not guilty Monday.
Russell Leland, 29, entered pleas to first degree murder with a firearm enhancement at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
King County prosecutors claim Leland was looking for a fight when he and a friend showed up at a Shell station Aug. 20 and argued with customers.
When employees stepped in, Leland is accused of getting a gun from his car and killing David Christianson and Carlos Gonzalez.
When contacted by police, detectives claim Leland remarked that the men he shot finally came across “some real gangsters.”
Leland is held without bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 22. If convicted, he faces up to 63 years of prison.
