Renton man could face murder charge in March 30 Kent shooting

A 27-year-old Renton man faces a potential second-degree murder charge for allegedly shooting Marcus Golden on March 30 at the Mosaic Hills Apartments in Kent as Golden investigated an argument between the man and a woman.

The man had his first court appearance on Wednesday, April 14, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He was booked April 13 into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle. A judge set bail at $3 million. The Kent Reporter generally does not name a suspect until he has been formally charged.

Prosecutors expect the Kent Police to refer the case to them by Friday, April 16 for a charging decision.

Golden, 28, died from a gunshot wound to his chest, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Officers were dispatched at about 1:43 a.m. to a building at the Mosaic Hills Apartments, 23821 110th Ave. SE, to a 911 report of a female screaming and crying and sounds of a male and female inside an apartment, according to probable cause documents. The 911 caller called again at about 1:55 a.m. asking about the time delay in police response. The caller called again at 2:12 a.m. to report a man had been shot, and the suspect had fled on foot.

Responding officers found Golden laying on the ground floor stairwell between the first and second floor of the 1B building. Golden had a gunshot wound to his chest. Officers and medics attempted life-saving measures, but he died at the scene.

A police K-9 track for the suspect had negative results and the suspect was not located. Officers on scene located a .40 caliber shell casing near Golden’s body and a spent round in the wall of the stairwell.

Detectives interviewed a roommate of Golden, who stated he was with Golden when he was shot. The man said he lives in an apartment unit with his girlfriend and Golden. That night there had been noise coming from the unit above them and the man called the police because it sounded like a woman and man were fighting.

He said he called again a short time later because he could still hear the noise coming from the apartment above them. He said Golden said something to the effect that they needed to do something about the noise and Golden left the apartment, seemingly headed towards the apartment above them.

The roommate said he told Golden he had called the police about the noise and they should wait, but Golden left the apartment anyway. He said he followed Golden into the stairwell and, once Golden reached the landing between the first and second floor, Golden suddenly pushed him back down the stairs.

The roommate said he then noticed a man coming down the stairs. He said no words were exchanged between any of them but he saw the man coming down the stairs turn towards them and pull his hand from his pocket, producing a black and silver semi-automatic handgun, then point and shot Golden. He said Golden fell backwards and the suspect ran from the building.

The roommate of Golden said there had been confrontations between him and his roommates with the residents of the unit above them in the past. He said they had called the police at least one prior time because of the sounds of a domestic disturbance in the apartment above them.

Officers contacted the female resident of the unit where the man who reportedly fired the gun had come from. The woman was initially reluctant to provide any information to officers, but eventually stated the male’s name.

Police used that information, video surveillance from the apartment and search warrants for the woman’s apartment and the man’s car in the parking lot to help tie the man to the shooting. The woman said she had been arguing with the man about the use of his vehicle.

Police arrested the man on April 13 as he came out of his mother’s apartment in Renton. The man requested a lawyer so detectives did not interview him about the shooting.