Police say Sunday night’s homicide inside a residential building at 24th and Union stemmed from a domestic dispute inside the victim’s apartment.

According to police, 36-year-old Michael Darden was shot and killed after an argument involving the mother of Darden’s son and her current boyfriend became physical inside the apartment. Seattle Fire says Darden was shot and died at the scene.

28-year-old Deshaun Sanford is being held on the shooting and has not yet been charged. Police say he was taken into custody after his car crashed onto its side at 19th and Cherry following the shooting.

Sanford is currently held in King County Jail on $3 million bail after a judge found probable cause for Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the First Degree, and Attempting to Elude. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court later this week.

Sunday night’s homicide was the second recorded in Seattle in 2022. SPD shot and killed a burglary suspect on January 5th.

CHS reported last month on concerns about Central District gun violence amid a surge in shootings across Seattle and the country. Gun deaths and injuries, and shots fired in the city reached their highest levels in a decade in 2021.

UPDATE: A second shooting incident earlier Sunday night appears to have been unrelated to the homicide, according to the SPD report on the incident:

On 01-16-2022 at 1813 hours, officers responded to a report of a shooting at 23 and Union. Multiple callers reported at least (3) shots fired at that intersection and described two subjects standing near the scene. Officers arrived and detained both subjects briefly. The windows to several businesses in that intersection were shot out, including Tacos Chukis on the southwest corner. The slug from that shot was recovered in a pillar right next to where employees were working. Officers also recovered more evidence of a shooting from the street outside. Employees at the restaurant told officers that one of the subjects they were detaining went into their business before officers arrived. The subject reportedly told them that he would kill all the employees and hunt their families down and kill them too if they called police. That subject was taken into custody and booked for Investigation of Felony Harassment. The additional subject was released from the scene. Officers recovered evidence that indicated the shooter was a passenger of a silver Dodge Challenger that continued eastbound from this intersection. Both the Homicide Unit and Gun Violence Reduction Unit will be notified of this event.

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