King County prosecutors on Friday charged Faisal Guled Adan, 21, of Kent, with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a 27-year-old passenger of a Metro bus on Tuesday.
Adan is also charged with assault in the second degree and unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree. He is being held without bail at the King County Justice Center.
On Tuesday afternoon, Adan and the victim were both sitting near each other on Metro bus route 169 through Renton. According to court documents, the two men did not know each other and had “no legitimate quarrel.”
Witnesses reported the two men speaking in a foreign language, but did not note any apparent tension between them when without warning Adan stood up and shot the victim, whose name has not yet been released, four times at close range.
Adan then walked to the front of the bus, pointed the gun at the driver and demanded he open the door, which the driver did. Adan fled on foot.
Soon after, according to the documents, two residents on Smithers Avenue saw Adan walk out from behind a vehicle with his hands up and state he was the one they were looking for, adding “I did it.”
Police arrived soon after and detained Adan, reading him his rights. Witnesses from the bus identified him as the shooter.
In a recorded statement post-Miranda rights, Adan initially stated he did not know the victim, was shown a picture of himself and denied it was him and then stated “people were trying to set him up and kill him.”
According to the documents, Adan told police he overheard the victim on the phone telling the other person that he was coming down the hill toward Sam’s Club and stated he was “not going to be a victim” and that he thought the victim was going to kill him when they got off the bus.
Adan also admitted to officers that he used drugs and alcohol before getting on the bus.
Renton police found the weapon in a nearby yard.
The victim was initially taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition with gunshot wounds in his head, shoulder and hand. He died Thursday morning.
Adan’s bail was originally set Thursday at $5 million, but the nature of his crime and a a list of felony convictions including second degree robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and first degree theft, as well as several juvenile convictions led the state to ask for a change in bail status.
According to court documents, the underlying facts of Adan’s felony convictions involve violent behavior and he is alleged to have used a firearm in the robbery.
Adan’s arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 15. He is innocent until proven guilty.