The King County Prosecutor’s office says the Seattle Police Department continues to investigate the July 2023 shooting that left a 20-year-old woman dead on Capitol Hill amid late night street racing crowds despite federal prosecutors revealing last week that they have video evidence showing the man they believe fired the deadly shot.

CHS reported here Friday on the federal sentencing of 50-year-old Ruchell Gilbert to 16 years in prison for possessing firearms while distributing drugs and violating his conditions of supervision from prior convictions in actions announced by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

Gilbert has not been charged in the deadly shooting despite video evidence revealed by his federal prosecutors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said security video obtained by police showed Gilbert the morning of July 23, 2023 as he got into a dispute that escalated quickly into an exchange of gunfire as street racing crowds gathered around Broadway and Pike:

Gilbert is seen getting out and getting into some kind of argument with those in the blocking car. On surveillance video from a nearby business it appears that Gilbert pulls up his shirt to flash a gun in his waistband. After returning to the car one of the people Gilbert confronted starts firing at his vehicle. Gilbert pulls his gun and fires back in a volley of at least four shots. One of the shots appears to hit a bystander in the head.

20-year-old Essence Greene was hit in the head and killed.

Federal prosecutors say Gilbert was also shot that night. “When federal probation officers learned Gilbert had been involved in the shootout, they got a warrant for his arrest and to search his vehicle,” the U.S. Attorney said. “In Gilbert’s truck they found distribution quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, cocaine, and marijuana as well as a loaded firearm.”

The feds say the firearm used in the shootout has never been found.

The King County Prosecutor says the case remains with Seattle Police and has not been referred to their office.

“The case is still with investigators – it hasn’t been sent to prosecutors (and hasn’t been declined),” a spokesperson said.

We’ve asked SPD for an update on the case.

UPDATE 12/17/2024: Police say they have nothing new to report in the investigation with a department spokesperson telling CHS there are “no updates from homicide detectives.”

Meanwhile, Greene’s family has been in touch with federal prosecutors.

“The decision that Mr. Gilbert made, changed the lives of our family, friends, and community…. (my daughter) was stripped of her life due to acts of anger – anger is what drove this incident…,” her father said in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney. “My child did not deserve to die in the manner that she died in, she was on her way to being a productive, loving, caring, person who helped preserve life not take it away. That’s why she chose to work in the medical field.”

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