Renton man suspected of casino shooting charged with two counts of first-degree assault
Published 2:22 pm Wednesday, November 20, 2013
King County prosecutors on Wednesday charged a 63-year-old Renton man with two counts of first-degree assault for allegedly shooting and seriously wounding two men outside the Muckleshoot Casino late last Saturday night.
Prosecutors filed the charges against Antonio F. Castro at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The court set bail at $500,000.
The two victims, Brian Beasley and Daniel Mora, are in serious condition at an area hospital.
According to the Determination for Certification of Probable Cause filed by Auburn Police — an account largely based on what Castro told police — Castro had been driving with his wife through the parking garage of the casino shortly before 8:45 p.m. when Beasley and Mora, who had been walking near his car, confronted him.
According to the police account, Mora walked over to the driver’s door and began swearing at Castro. When Castro reached under his seat to remove his Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, according to the account, Mora began taunting him, telling him to shoot.
According to the account, Castro started to drive slowly down the ramp but stopped at the exit when he noticed that Beasley and Mora were still following him. According to the police account, Mora walked up, kicked Castro’s car and tried to open the driver door, which Castro knew was locked.
Castro, according to the account, then fired one shot at Mora, who ran off toward the casino entrance with Castro following him on foot.
According to the account, “Beasley fell down and crawled toward a bush, crouched down.” Castro then stopped at the bush and, from less than 3 feet away, according to the account, fired into Beasley’s upper back one shot that exited at the front of his throat. According to the account, Beasley then got up and ran off with the suspect in pursuit.
About 30 feet on, according to the account, Castro found Mora hiding in some bushes and fired at least one shot into his chest, collapsing his lung. As Mora ran off, according to the account, Castro fired one-to-two more shots at him.
According to the police account, Castro later admitted to police that he’d been upset with Mora and Beasley for their comments and for kicking his car. According to the account, Castro conceded he had not been in fear for his or his wife’s safety when he chased the men. He also acknowledged, according to the police account, that neither Beasley nor Mora had any weapons in their hands at the times of the shootings.
