In the early hours of April 22, 2018, Robert Baker, a 29-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally shot in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. near the 4900 block of 17th Avenue Northwest. Baker had been at the Cedar Room nightclub on Leary Avenue Northwest shortly before the shooting.
According to police reports and surveillance footage, another man, later identified as 25-year-old Christopher Miles Gates, had seen Baker at
the nightclub. Gates, along with a woman and two friends, left the bar and waited on the street. When Baker and a friend emerged, they walked to the friend's nearby vehicle. After retrieving a handgun from the car and placing it in his jacket pocket, Baker and his friend started walking back toward the bar. It was at this point that Gates allegedly opened fire from across the street, shooting at Baker multiple times. Baker attempted to take cover behind a parked car but was struck by a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. Although he was armed, reports indicate Baker did not fire his weapon. He was pronounced dead while being transported to the hospital.
A subsequent police investigation, which included cell phone video from a Lyft driver who witnessed the event, led to the arrest of Christopher Miles Gates. He was taken into custody near Shoreline and booked into the King County Jail for investigation of murder. Gates was later charged with first-degree murder and illegal firearm possession. Prosecutors believe the act was a targeted attack.
Robert Baker was the brother of Budda Baker, a well-known NFL player. He was a husband and a father to four children. His family described him as a beloved husband and father who was taken from them by a violent crime. At the time of his death, his wife, Samantha, described him as the family's provider and a dedicated father with an infectious smile.
