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Argument over ‘gang affiliation and toughness' ends in shooting, prosecutors say

A picture included in a probable cause document shows a graze bullet wound on the victim's head. 

BURIEN, Wash. — A 19-year-old Burien man was charged in King County Superior Court with first-degree assault for allegedly shooting a man during a gang initiation.

The shooting is alleged to have happened around 2 a.m. on July 4 at Othello Park in South Seattle.

In charging documents, prosecutors said Leaonda Maurice Taylor, also known as Ceandra, shot a man following an argument over "gang affiliation and toughness."

Prosecutors said the victim and another man were hanging out in Othello Park when they began to argue.

The man then called Taylor, a member of his gang, and told him to come to the park to shoot the victim, according to a probable cause document.

Prosecutors said when Taylor arrived and pulled out a gun the victim began to run and Taylor fired "approximately" four shots at the victim, striking him twice in the head and once in the elbow.

According to police, medics with the Seattle Fire Department treated the victim at the scene and transported him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Police said their investigation revealed that Taylor fired the shots and they took him into custody on July 25.

In a probable cause document, police said Taylor admitted to being a gang member and said the shooting was part of a gang initiation. He also admitted to tossing the gun after the shooting, prosecutors said.

Police said they are still searching for an additional suspect in the case. A description was not released.

Taylor remains in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. His arraignment, where he will enter a plea, is expected later this year.

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