Sheriff's Office Releases More Information On Skyway Shooting

Detectives said that there were approximately nine people in the house at a party.  During the evening there was a “show and tell” of guns and at midnight at least two people fired multiple rounds into the air.

Just before 3 a.m. one of the males at the party asked to see a gun belonging to another person. When asked to give the gun back the male refused. A fight ensued and at one point at least two people pulled guns and a shootout ensued. Witnesses said that Benjamin Barnes was one of the subjects that pulled a gun and fired.

Barnes and two other subjects left the house after the shooting. Detectives spent most of the day talking to witnesses and trying to identify and locate the subjects that had left the house. Two of the subjects were located and detectives were working with family members of Barnes to convince him to come to the police to tell his side of the story.

Detectives have been unable to talk to all the shooting victims at this time. It is unclear at this point who shot first and who was shot by whom. Detectives will be processing forensic evidence as the investigation continues.  

The victims remain in the hospital.  Two are stable and two have critical injuries.

*Editor's Note: This is a press release from the King County Sheriff's Office.