SEATTLE — The man accused of a shooting in Belltown that left a pregnant woman and her child dead on Tuesday was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder on Friday.
Cordell Maurice Goosby, 30, currently faces up to 57 years in prison if convicted of the crimes. Additional charges may be added, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office.
On Tuesday, June 13, Seattle police responded to the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Lenora Street for reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found two victims in their Tesla car. The victims were identified as 34-year-old Eina Kwon and her 37-year-old husband, Sung Kwon.
Eina Kwon was 32 weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting.
The Kwons were taken to Harborview Medical Center, where Eina Kwon was rushed into surgery and her baby was emergently delivered. Both Eina and her baby girl died. Sung Kwon, who was shot multiple times in his left arm, survived.
Currently, Goosby isn’t charged in the baby’s death and that hinges on state law.
"We have what is called the born alive rule which means we ask the question, was the fetus alive at the time of the death, not at the time of the shooting," said Dierdre Bowen, professor and Director of Family Law Center at Seattle University School of Law.
An initial court document said the baby did survive for a period of time. A GoFundMe page for the family also said the same thing and that "Sung was able to hold his beautiful daughter for a quick moment to say goodbye"
However, medical records are still being reviewed by the King County Medical Examiner, Seattle Police, and King County prosecutors for proof the baby was alive.
Prosecutors said there is no statute of limitations for murder and that charge could be added.
The alleged shooter, Goosby, fled the scene of the shooting but was found a short time later. As officers approved him, he raised his hands up, surrendering, according to charging documents. He told police he was the shooter.
Video footage shows Goosby allegedly running up to the Tesla while it is stopped with his arm extended. As he's running up, smoke can be seen coming from either a handgun or from the glass window of the vehicle that's being shattered.
Another video makes it evident that there "was no interaction between the suspect and the victims' vehicle prior to the shooting," according to charging documents.
While Goosby was being interviewed by police, he said people had been harassing him and spreading rumors about him. While he was being interviewed, he would "occasionally speak to the wall or ceiling as if a person or persons were in the wall or ceiling." He referred to that as an "intercom" and asked police if they could hear it, according to charging documents.
When he was asked what happened just before he was taken into custody, Goosby said a white car pulled up to him. Then, another car pulled up and yelled at him that the people in the white car were going to get him. Goosby told police he thought he saw a gun in the white car so he fired into it.
Video evidence collected was not consistent with his statement.
The gun Goosby allegedly used was stolen during a burglary.
Goosby doesn't have a local criminal history. However, he is wanted out of Indiana for a 2020 domestic battery case and has felony convictions from Illinois for possession of controlled substances and aggravated unlawful use weapon/vehicle.