RENTON, Wash. — Renton police detectives are investigating after a Seattle resident, 19-year-old Elmer Salazar Rojas, was shot and killed Saturday night in the parking lot of a restaurant. His brother, Kevin Rojas, told KING 5 he was there that night and was assaulted by the same suspects.
"My brother was young, and he was such a good person and he was full of life, and it's just-- this is a disgrace, what happened," said Kevin Rojas.
The Renton Police Department said officers responded to a shooting in the 100 block of Airport Way just before 10 p.m. Kevin Rojas identified that location as the parking lot of Muchacho Alegre, a seafood restaurant where he commonly plays live music.
Kevin Rojas said the suspects, a group of about five men ranging in age from 25 to 50 years old, became angry after he told them he didn't know how to play the songs they were requesting.
Kevin Rojas didn't know the songs because he had never performed them. He said the men were waiting for him in the parking lot when he exited the restaurant.
"And they started hitting me, and I didn't see anything anymore. And then last I heard was that they had murdered my, my brother," he said.
Arriving officers reportedly found Elmer Salazar Rojas in his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers attempted life-saving measures but the victim died at the scene.
Kevin Rojas said he heard the shooting but did not witness it.
On Monday, friends and family gathered around an altar they made to mourn the loss of Elmer Salazar Rojas, the teen who died in the shooting.
"Justice is what I want. Justice." said Rojas.
Renton police said the investigation is ongoing. No information on potential suspects has been released, but call 911 with any info that can help investigators.
Elmer Salazar Rojas' parents live in Oaxaca, Mexico, and his Seattle family are now faced with the expense of shipping his remains back to Mexico. If you would like to help the late teen's family during this difficult time, a verified GoFundMe has been created in their name.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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