KING COUNTY, Wash. — A man accused of shooting two people in Renton and one in SeaTac has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of assault in the first degree.
Mamadou A. Diallo, 32, is still being held in King County Jail on $3 million bail. Two of the victims are still hospitalized and in critical condition, while the third was initially discharged before having to be readmitted within hours for additional surgery.
Prosecutors initially asked for $5 million bail, arguing the suspect is a danger to the community.
"To have people attacked at random like this, it's exactly what you don't want to have anywhere in King County," said King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney.
“We thought that the argument even for higher for $5 million was appropriate because if you randomly shoot people like this, you can expect King County prosecutors to ask for a high bail on behalf of public safety," he continued.
Diallo told Court Services that he has been living out of his car for the past two months and worked as a delivery driver.
Diallo also told a screener that he has only been in Washington for a year and a half, but didn't provide any references to verify his information. He has one previous criminal conviction for misdemeanor theft in Colorado, but has arrest histories in Washington, New York, North Carolina and Nebraska.
On Jan. 12, around 1:20 p.m., Renton police were dispatched to a shooting at 64 Rainier Avenue South. Dispatch reported that a male suspect was shooting at another vehicle. The victim fled into a nearby store where he collapsed from his injuries. He sustained seven gunshot wounds to his upper left leg and lower abdomen, according to court documents.
The suspect left the scene in what was described as a brown, four-door sedan.
Another 911 call came into the dispatch center reporting an assault at a Safeway located at 200 South Third Street. A male suspect had reportedly knocked down an elderly man before getting into a vehicle with the same description as the one involved in the shooting. Surveillance video showed the suspect shoving the man to the ground after making a purchase, getting into a four-door gold SUV and leaving the parking lot, according to court documents.
Renton police were dispatched to another shooting at a Kia dealership at 200 SW Grady Way around 1:40 p.m. A victim was shot in the hand and in the leg. Witnesses said they heard gunshots, then saw the victim running from the parking lot toward the service bay. At the same time, they saw a gold car driving west through the dealership's parking lot away from the victim. One witness identified the car as a gold Dodge Journey.
Surveillance video showed the suspect fit the description of the suspect in the Safeway assault, according to court documents.
The King County Sheriff's Office Communications Center received numerous 911 calls around 2:10 p.m. on Jan. 12 reporting that someone was shot at South 160th Street and 34th Avenue South in SeaTac and was laying on the ground.
One caller said the shooter fled the scene traveling southbound on 34th Avenue in a gold SUV, according to court documents.
When King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) deputies arrived at the scene, they found one victim laying on the ground with numerous gunshot wounds to the torso. King County Medics said the victim's wounds were life-threatening, according to court documents.
Multiple witnesses said they saw the shooter get out of a gold Dodge Journey with no license plates and a silver roof rack, speak to the victim, then proceed to shoot the victim from point-blank range four or five times.
Witnesses described the suspect. One witness was able to provide several pictures they took of the vehicle to law enforcement.
Valley Communications advised KCSO that two shootings had occurred around 1 p.m. in Renton and the suspect was driving a vehicle fitting the same description as the one involved in the shooting in SeaTac.
Around 2:16 p.m., a KCSO sergeant spotted a vehicle fitting the same description getting onto southbound Interstate 5. Multiple KCSO deputies followed the vehicle to Tacoma where they initiated a traffic stop and took Diallo into custody.
Without being prompted, Diallo told deputies there was a firearm in the car. Deputies spotted a pistol box on the front passenger seat and what appeared to be one spent shell casing inside the vehicle, according to court documents.
Diallo spoke with investigators after he was taken to KCSO's SeaTac precinct. He denied shooting anyone but did confirm he recently bought a pistol and that he had the pistol and numerous loaded magazines in his car, according to court documents.
He initially denied being at Safeway where the elderly man was shoved to the ground, but after being shown CCTV video, confirmed that he was there and that he had gone to the store to buy cigarettes, according to court documents. Diallo was also shown CCTV video of his vehicle leaving one of the shooting scenes and confirmed that it was his car.
Throughout the interview, Diallo said multiple times that he does not like Black people, and he does not like spending time with Black people. The three victims Diallo is accused of shooting are all Black men.
“If we're able to prove a hate crime, we can add that charge too. Right now, we are able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt is attempted murder, and (first-degree assault)," McNerthney said.