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Suspect arrested, 2 still on run in Seattle shooting that killed 1, injured 7

SEATTLE — One suspect was arrested and two others remain on the run in the downtown Seattle shooting Wednesday night that killed a woman and hurt 7 other people, including a 9-year-old boy.

On Friday, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman who was killed as 50-year-old Tanya Jackson.

Police say all three suspects are known gang members and the shooting was gang-related.

“We know that we have two subjects that were in front of the McDonald’s, and some sort of dispute occurred, with a third person being there, guns were pulled, shots were fired, people were running, and the subjects fled from each other,” Seattle police Chief Carmen Best said at a news conference Thursday.

Best said overnight Wednesday, officers recovered “a tremendous amount of physical and digital evidence, including multiple shell casings from three different caliber of firearms.

The suspects still at large are Marquise Latrelle Tolbert, 24, and William Ray Tolliver, 24. Police said both are armed and dangerous.

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Tolbert is 6-feet 1-inch tall and 200 pounds. Tolliver is 6 feet tall and 145 pounds. Anyone who sees them or knows their whereabouts is asked to call 911. Seattle police chief said the both men had been arrested numerous times - one over 50 times and one over 25 times.

The suspect who is in custody, felon Jamel Linonell Jackson, 21, was one of the shooters, according to the police chief. He was also one of the eight people who was shot Wednesday.

Police said Jamel Jackson was arrested on a firearms violation in connection with the shooting for possessing a gun at the scene. He was booked into jail at 10:19 p.m. Wednesday after he was released from Harborview Medical Center. His bail was set at $50,000.

>>Family: 9-year-old downtown shooting victim recovering from shattered femur

Police said Jamel Jackson admitted to having a gun during Wednesday’s shooting, and they were corroborating that with video evidence that showed Jackson with a gun in his hand. Jamel Jackson’s criminal history includes robbery convictions, a misdemeanor harassment conviction and two prior convictions for unlawful handgun possession, court documents show.

In a 2017 guilty plea, Jamel Jackson said he was not a gang member. But police that year said he was a known gang member, outlined his alleged gang ties in court documents, and prosecutors wrote that Jamel Jackson “is likely to commit a violent offense.” Prosecutors wrote that after Jamel Jackson was arrested for being a felon in possession of a handgun outside the same McDonald’s on Third Avenue and Pine Street where Wednesday’s shooting happened.

See the full briefing with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best below.

The story continues below the video and links.

Facebook Live

Mayor Jenny Durkan, Police Chief Carmen Best and other officials are providing an update after a shooting in downtown Seattle last night killed one and injured seven. Here’s what we know: bit.ly/2GebLOK (Impeachment coverage will return shortly)

Posted by KIRO 7 News on Thursday, January 23, 2020


Best said there will be more officers, as well as a mobile command unit, on the block until further notice. The department has come under fire from residents and business leaders who say police aren’t doing enough to curtail crime in the area.

Police ask anyone with information about the shooting or who sees the suspects to call the Seattle police tip line at 206-233-5000. Those who were there and have video or photo evidence can share it directly with investigators by uploading it at this link.

The Victims

Tanya Jackson, who is believed to have been in a wheelchair, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In addition to the 9-year-old boy, the other surviving victims, including suspect Jamel Jackson, are five men, ages 21, 32, 34, 35 and 49 years old, and a 55-year-old woman. Victims were shot in the buttocks, leg, chest and abdomen, Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.

Four of the victims have since been released, and the three remaining patients have improved. The 9-year-old boy, who was shot in the leg, may be cleared to leave the hospital as soon as Friday. A 55-year-old woman, who was shot in the stomach, is in intensive care, and a 32-year-old man is in satisfactory condition.

Amazon also told KIRO 7 two of its workers were hurt in the shooting.

People have been reaching out to KIRO 7 asking where they can donate blood. Those who want to donate can find information here.

Chaos after gunfire erupted

The shooting happened in the middle of rush hour when sidewalks were packed with bus commuters and streets were lined with cars.

Police said 45 units were dispatched to the shooting scene, and it happened as officers were investigating another shooting nearby. Police did not say those two scenes were related.

KIRO 7 spoke to witnesses who were nearby when the gunshots were fired.

Annalisa Murphy said she was waiting for the bus with about 20 or 30 other people when the shots were fired. Watch her interview in the video below.

“I was right there, I was about 10 feet away from going down into the light rail, and I heard a pop, pop, pop and about a dozen shots, and I just saw people jumping behind cars, and jumping behind anywhere they could hide,” said Douglas Converse.

“We saw a dead body and then we saw a gunshot in the window,” said Lofi Leungwai.

“I knew it wasn’t fireworks and then I started screaming,” said Angela Maria Favre, who lives nearby.

Many people took out their cellphones and started filming after the shooting. Others say they saw at least one of the shooters run into the nearby light rail tunnel to get away, but that has not been confirmed by police.

People who work in the area said they are tired of the violence.

“To see all this happening on like a Wednesday night, it’s like, what else can go on. I’m just sick of all this. I’m sick of all this violence, all of this violence,” said Shai Dukes.

Watch video of a briefing Seattle’s police and fire chiefs held on the downtown shooting below. The story continues after the videos and social media posts.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan released the following statement shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night:

Early this evening, a dispute between individuals in our downtown core escalated into gunfire. As a result, a number of...

Posted by Mayor Jenny Durkan on Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best tweeted Wednesday night:

Gov. Jay Inslee released the following statement Wednesday night:

“Our hearts go out to the victims of tonight’s shooting in downtown Seattle and we commend the Seattle Police and Fire Departments for their swift response to this tragedy," a spokesman for the Downtown Seattle Association said in a statement. "Criminal activity around Third and Pine has been persistent for far too long and too often has led to violence and innocent lives lost. The heart of our city should feel safe and welcoming for all who live, work and visit here. We call on public officials to devote the resources necessary to improve safety in downtown and take back Third Avenue from the criminals who have laid claim to it. On behalf of residents, small business owners, employers and visitors, we say enough is enough.”


This is the third shooting this week in downtown Seattle.

On Tuesday night, a man died after a shooting inside Westlake Center. Police are still searching for the suspect.

Earlier Wednesday, there was a separate shooting involving Seattle police officers and King County deputies near Third Avenue and Blanchard Street. One suspect was injured and taken to the hospital.

Follow this link to see the Seattle Police Department’s annual report on gun violence, released earlier this month.