SEATTLE — A trial for former six-time NBA All-Star turned Seattle-area marijuana entrepreneur Shawn Kemp is expected to start on Thursday.
Kemp is charged with first-degree assault for a 2023 shooting in a Tacoma Mall parking lot.
RELATED | Former SuperSonics all-star Shawn Kemp arrested in connection to Tacoma drive-by shooting
On March 8, 2023, officers answered a call that reported shots fired in the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall at the 4500 block of South Steele Street. Tacoma police determined two men in separate cars reportedly were involved in an altercation that resulted in one of the drivers firing several shots at the driver of the other car.
Shawn Kemp was identified as the alleged shooter and was arrested and booked into Pierce County Corrections.
The former SuperSonic was drafted by Seattle in 1989 and played 14 seasons in the NBA—eight of which he spent in the Emerald City. During his tenure, he led the Sonics to an NBA Finals appearance in the 1995-96 season, their first appearance since the franchise’s lone championship in 1979.
Kemp was also named to the three all-NBA teams.
In 2020, Kemp opened a cannabis shop located in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, and opened a second location in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood in 2023.
Court documents released by the Pierce County Superior Court said that in the early morning hours of March 8, Kemp’s car was broken into and a cell phone was stolen. Kemp was able to track the location of his phone going toward the Tacoma Mall.
LEARN MORE | Former NBA star Shawn Kemp charged in Tacoma parking lot shooting
“I’m about to shoot this (expletive),” Kemp allegedly wrote just before the shooting.
Court documents said surveillance video captured a Toyota 4Runner parking in the lot on the afternoon of March 8. Kemp arrived in the same lot shortly after, parking several spots away. Kemp exited his car with a backpack, where his gun was inside, according to court documents.
He then approached the Toyota, stopping behind a car in between them, and allegedly fired a shot toward the Toyota. A shell casing that matched Kemp’s gun was found close to where he was standing, court documents state.
The driver of the Toyota reversed their car. This is when Kemp walked closer toward the Toyota and allegedly proceeded to fire another shot into the hood of the vehicle before walking back to his Porsche.
Surveillance video captured the driver and Kemp then engaging in an argument, which led to what appeared to be Kemp firing one last shot toward the Toyota.
The driver of the Toyota then sped away and out of the surveillance camera’s field of view.
No one was injured in the shooting, and only about 5 minutes went by from the time Kemp arrived until the time the 4Runner left.
Kemp asserted in an interview with Tacoma detectives that he retreated to his car after he was shot at and only shot back in self-defense.
SEE ALSO | Former Sonics star Shawn Kemp pleads not guilty, released without bail
A probable cause statement by Tacoma police filed in court did not indicate Kemp was shot at. It said some of his statements were not corroborated by surveillance video, and that the text message sent just 13 minutes before he arrived at the mall showed his intent.
In May 2023, Kemp pled not guilty to the assault charges and was released without bail.
His trial is set to begin on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Court documents show prosecutors made a plea offer, and Kemp declined it.
A jury pool of 100 people has been requested, and the trial is expected to take three weeks.
A trial for former NBA star turned Seattle-area marijuana entrepreneur Shawn Kemp is expected to start on Thursday. Read More
