SEATTLE — Two suspects connected to a deadly shooting in downtown Seattle pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance Wednesday since being extradited back to Washington state.
The shooting on Jan. 22 left one person dead and seven others injured.
Marquise Tolbert and William Tolliver are both charged with first-degree murder and six counts of first-degree assault. Tolbert is also charged with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and Tolliver is charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Their next court appearance is set for March 4, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
Tolliver’s grandmother, Lizzie Coleman, said after Wednesday’s court appearance that her grandson isn’t a killer and has a loving heart.
“[Tolliver] just got caught up with the wrong person at the wrong time,” said Coleman.
The pair were arrested in Las Vegas on Feb. 1 after fleeing the state days after the shooting. They were booked into the Clark County Jail before being extradited to Washington state.
A third suspect, Jamel Jackson, who was also injured in the shooting, was booked into King County Jail after receiving treatment. Jamel Jackson was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree in relation to the shooting. He pleaded not guilty on Feb. 10.
The shooting occurred at the start of rush hour when the downtown area was filled with commuters and shoppers.
Surveillance video shows Tolbert and Tolliver standing across from Jackson at the corner of East Pine Street and Third Avenue, according to court documents. The three men can be seen exchanging words across from the McDonald's before shots were fired.
Tanya Jackson, 50, was killed in the crossfire. Seven other people were injured in the shooting, including a 9-year-old boy. As of Wednesday morning, one woman was in satisfactory condition recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The other shooting victims have been released from the hospital.
Buildings were damaged by gunfire and several loaded buses were nearby. One bus was struck by a stray bullet in the driver's window, narrowly missing the driver.
An analysis of surveillance video shows that Jackson's shot did not injure or kill any of the victims, according to court documents.
Court documents claim that both Tolliver and Tolbert fired at least 20 rounds "with no regard for the dozens of innocent people around them."
