In the evening hours of November 22, 2024, the life of 21-year-old Hinkley Leifi, a male resident of Kent, Washington, was tragically cut short. The fatal encounter unfolded in a parking lot situated in the 1500 block of West Meeker Street. Around 8 p.m., the sound of multiple gunshots, estimated by witnesses to be between five and twelve, pierced the night, prompting numerous calls to 911.
Callers reported seeing a man down on the pavement.
Responding Kent Police officers arrived to find Leifi with several apparent gunshot wounds. They immediately began administering lifesaving medical aid until Puget Sound Fire firefighters arrived and took over. Medics rushed Leifi to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, but despite the efforts of medical professionals, he succumbed to his injuries and died during surgery. The King County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that his death was a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Initial witness statements indicated that the assailant fled the scene in a vehicle immediately after shooting Leifi multiple times. Detectives were called to the scene to begin a thorough investigation, which included examining the crime scene, interviewing multiple witnesses, and searching for any available surveillance video from the surrounding area. According to police, there is an indication that Leifi and the shooter had an interaction just prior to the incident and that they were known to each other.
As of early December 2024, no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting, and police had not released any specific information about a suspect or suspects. The Kent Police Department has appealed to the public for assistance, asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact their tip line. This tragic event marked the second fatal shooting in Kent in just two days.
