Chaotic scene after customer stabbed to death in Muckleshoot Casino
Chaotic scene after customer stabbed to death in Muckleshoot Casino
There was chaos inside the Muckleshoot Casino Resort after a customer was stabbed to death at a slot machine. Now there’s a search for answers in what Auburn police are calling a “random attack.”
The stabbing happened inside the busy Muckleshoot Casino Resort at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Auburn police say without warning, a 31-year-old man stabbed a man who was playing the slots.
The suspect was detained and taken into custody.
This was likely shocking to everyone who was there. Even Auburn police say they are surprised. They can’t remember anything like this inside this casino before, an unprovoked attack that ended in tragedy.
“I think he was with him,” said Beverly Sarmiento, narrating the video she had gotten. “You see he’s already on the floor. He was gambling right here. I was right here. And this is where he was sitting.”
Sarmiento recounted the terrifying moments inside the Muckleshoot Casino Resort early Sunday morning.
“Everybody was actually around the lady that was next to him because she was winning,” she said. “And there was a bunch of people there. And ah suddenly we hear a lot of screaming.”
They initially thought someone had won big.
“And then a guy that was there, he took off his t-shirt and gave it to him,” Sarmiento said. “That’s when we noticed. And he was screaming ‘Go get him. Go get him,’ he kept on saying, ‘just get him.’”
It was then they realized a 29-year-old man lay mortally wounded, a single stab wound to his neck.
“The guy that did it, he basically came in,” said Sarmiento. “And it was just random.”
“Random attacks are rare,” said Kolby Crossley, Auburn Police Public Information Officer. “They do happen on occasion. But most of the time, attacks are targeted attacks.”
What happened here has shaken Auburn Police, too.
“And the fact this is rare is really scary,” Crossley said. “So, we’re going to figure out exactly what led up to this and that will be part of our investigation.”
What Beverly Sarmiento saw is still having an effect. She says casino employees did not do enough to save the victim’s life.
“Yeah, security was there,” she said. “And securities were more concerned about people recording the whole incident than actually getting him help. You know, it’s a casino. There’s a lot of people. It’s a Saturday night. It’s full of people. There’s people working in the medical field. They could have helped him. Nobody helped him.”
KIRO 7 walked into the casino hoping to get their side of this story. The security guard said no one wanted to talk. And we were asked to leave.
Turns out the 31-year-old suspect has a long rap sheet. He was booked into the King County jail.
He should make a first court appearance Monday afternoon.
