Police say an argument in the aisles turned physical before shots were fired as shoppers looked on.
RENTON, WA — A man was arrested early Wednesday after another man was shot and killed inside a crowded grocery store in Renton on Tuesday night, according to police. Officers said the suspect fled in an SUV before abandoning it nearby, prompting a K-9 and helicopter search.
Authorities said the case now advances to court, where a judge has found probable cause for second-degree murder. Investigators are reviewing in-store security video, interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence from the 3700 block of Northeast 4th Street. The store reopened on a delayed schedule Wednesday as employees and customers processed what happened. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges yet, saying they are awaiting the completed investigative packet while a bail decision is set for Thursday afternoon.
Officers were called just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a shooting inside Los Jalapeños, a small market in the Renton Highlands. When they arrived, they found a man in his 30s with multiple gunshot wounds and declared him dead at the scene. Witnesses told police a man came in arguing with several customers. A dispute between the suspect and the victim escalated into a fight before shots were fired. “It is frightening for everyone,” Renton Police Department spokesperson Meeghan Black said. Black added that “shortly after the shooting, the suspect got into a vehicle and drove a short distance away” before running off on foot.
Police recovered the suspected getaway vehicle a short distance from the store. Officers, assisted by the King County Sheriff’s Office Guardian One helicopter and a K-9 team, searched the area for about an hour. Investigators said body-worn camera video and the vehicle’s license plate helped them identify a suspect. Detectives formed a perimeter around a residence and watched it while others processed the scene. “Shortly after midnight, the suspect came home and he was arrested without incident,” Black said. In court Wednesday, a senior deputy prosecuting attorney asked a judge to find probable cause for murder in the second degree. A defense attorney appeared on the suspect’s behalf and waived his presence for the probable cause hearing.
Officials said store security cameras captured the confrontation and the shooting. According to investigators, the footage shows the men arguing before the victim throws a punch and the suspect pulls a handgun and fires multiple rounds, including at the victim’s face. Police described the victim only by age range and gender and did not release a name pending family notification. Authorities gave varying descriptions of the suspect’s age, and his full identity remained undisclosed Wednesday. Records referenced in court described prior convictions for malicious mischief and unlawful firearm possession, but prosecutors said they had not yet received the complete case file from detectives. How many shots were fired and the exact motive remain unknown.
Renton officials noted the store sits along a busy stretch of Northeast 4th Street, near Queen Avenue Northeast, where evening customers often line up at the register. The market reopened Wednesday to serve regulars while some staff who witnessed the shooting stayed home, the manager told reporters. In the neighborhood, shoppers described a routine weeknight turned into chaos as officers sealed off the block and the helicopter circled overhead. “The community is rightfully concerned,” Black said. Witnesses reported people pointing toward an SUV leaving the area and shouting as officers arrived, according to police.
A judge in King County District Court found probable cause for second-degree murder on Wednesday, clearing the case to move toward charging. Prosecutors said a bail hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the victim’s name and cause of death once next of kin are notified. Detectives plan additional witness interviews and a detailed review of surveillance videos and forensic evidence gathered from the store and the vehicle. Police said they are still investigating whether the men knew each other before the argument and what sparked the dispute inside the market.
By late Wednesday, police said their investigation was ongoing while court proceedings began to unfold. The next public milestone is the bail hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon, when a judge will set custody conditions and the timeline for charging decisions.
Author note: Last updated February 5, 2026.