Seattle shooting suspect won't face death
Prosecutors won't seek death penalty against man accused of shooting six people, one fatally, at Jewish charity because of suspect's long history of mental illness
King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng said he based his decision on Naveed Haq's mental health records from the past decade, though he called the shooting "one of the most serious crimes that has ever occurred in this city."
Haq is charged with murder in the death of Pamela Waechter, 58, director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle's annual fundraising campaign, and with five counts of attempted murder in the attack at the federation's downtown offices on July 28.
If convicted, Haq would face life in prison without parole. He also faces charges of kidnapping and malicious harassment, the state's hate-crime law.
Jewish Federation officials declined immediate comment on the decision but scheduled a news conference for later Wednesday.
Haq, 31, a US-born Muslim, is accused of opening fire with two semiautomatic pistols at the Jewish center. He told authorities he was angered by the war in Iraq and US military co-operation with Israel.
According to a statement of probable cause, Haq told a 911 dispatcher: "These are Jews and I'm tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East."
A family friend told reporters last summer that Haq had been getting psychiatric help for 10 years, and hadn't been able to hold a job.
In March, Haq was arrested at a Benton County shopping mall after he was accused of climbing onto a raised coin fountain and exposing himself to young women.
'Significant mental health issues'
Maleng's spokesman, Dan Donohoe, wouldn't say what evidence of mental illness had been uncovered, and Haq's lawyer, Wesley Richards, wouldn't discuss his client's mental history.
"We're certainly glad the prosecutor recognized there are significant mental health issues in this case and that the death penalty was just not appropriate under these circumstances," Richards said.
He declined to say whether his client still wishes to plead guilty - as he tried to at a hearing this summer. The judge postponed the hearing on the plea, and Haq eventually pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said Haq waited in the vestibule of the downtown Seattle building until 14-year-old Kelsie Burkum arrived to visit her aunt, Cheryl Stumbo. Prosecutors allege he put a gun into the girl's back and told her, "Open the door." He followed her up the stairs to the second floor, keeping the gun in her back, and started shooting when one woman tried to call 911, prosecutors said.
The shooting ended when Dayna Klein, then 17 weeks pregnant, persuaded the gunman to speak with an emergency operator after he shot her in the arm. He agreed to surrender, put his two guns down and walked out, hands on his head.
Klein gave birth to a healthy baby boy last month.
