Charging documents filed Thursday say the suspect told a female counterpart that he shot the victim “to protect her.”
SEATTLE — Prosecutors charge a 20-year-old man with murder A 25-year-old employee was shot and killed in a shooting at a north Seattle restaurant.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday charged Lucas Logan with first-degree murder and use of a firearm enhancement in the death of Kutha “Q” Magassa. Logan remains in the King County Jail with bail set at $2 million. His next court appearance, an arraignment hearing, is scheduled for May 19.
Margesa was found dead at the Growler Guys restaurant off Lake City Way on Saturday morning when a co-worker came to open the business and found him lying in a pool of blood near the back door. Investigators found shell casings, bullet damage and keys near his body.
Detectives believe Magsa met Logan and a woman at the Lava Hookah Lounge in North Seattle earlier that night and then invited them back to the Growler Guys after the restaurant closed, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Surveillance footage reviewed by detectives allegedly showed the trio arriving at the restaurant around 5:25 a.m. and spending more than an hour together. Investigators wrote that the interaction appeared friendly throughout much of the morning.
The atmosphere changed around 6:41 a.m. when the group appeared to have a verbal disagreement near the back door, court documents said. Detectives said when Logan pulled a handgun from his messenger bag, Magsa turned around while trying to open the door and allegedly shot him several times in the back.
Charging documents filed Thursday say Logan later told the woman that he allegedly shot Margosa “to protect her” because Margosa “took her into a back room.” Prosecutors noted that the door Magassa opened, which led into the parking lot, was the same door the gang had used to enter the restaurant earlier.
Investigators said Logan and the woman fled through a patio area after unsuccessfully trying to force open another door.
Prosecutors said no criminal case involving the woman has yet been transferred to their office.
Margesa’s death rocked Seattle’s basketball and restaurant communities.
Friends described him as the emotional center of his friend group, making people feel welcome wherever he went.
A lifelong resident of Seattle, Margarsa attended Nathan Hale High School and was a member of the school’s nationally recognized basketball team during the 2016-17 season.
A growing memorial outside the restaurant is filled with flowers, candles, balloons and handwritten notes from friends and customers.
An online fundraiser launched to help Margarsa’s family pay for funeral and memorial services had raised more than $70,000 as of Tuesday evening.
