16-year-old identified in Federal Way grocery store shooting

16-year-old Nehemiah Drayton has been charged for a King County shooting that happened April 4.

According to charging documents filed on April 18, Drayton entered a grocery store in Federal Way with an unidentified girl. In surveillance camera footage from the grocery store, the pair can be seen purchasing items before exiting the store around 11:30 a.m..

They can be seen on video starting to enter a white Volkswagen Jetta before Drayton pulls out a gun and begins shooting at three people on the sidewalk, striking one male victim in the arm. The two unharmed males fled on foot in different directions.

A witness who identified herself as the shooting victim’s girlfriend called 911 and police arrived shortly after to provide aid. The witness and the victim were uncooperative in providing information to officers.

The Jetta was spotted heading north on Pacific Highway South before later being recovered outside a Tukwila hotel. Three boys and a girl were seen on hotel video footage exiting the vehicle.

Despite running the plates of the Jetta and reviewing video footage from both the hotel and the grocery store, police were unsuccessful in identifying any of those involved until an anonymous tip received from Crime Stoppers identified Drayton.

On April 15, Drayton visited his probation officer, who had also previously recognized Drayton’s photo on Crime Stoppers. She called police officers who quickly arrived at her office to arrest Drayton.

The next day, a staff member from Drayton’s high school called police to identify him after having watched a video posted on KIRO 7 News. They alerted police to previous difficulties with Drayton, including possession of a firearm case that they had assisted Des Moines police with.

Drayton has multiple previous misdemeanor and juvenile felony charges for assault and the unlawful possession of weapons. This case is his third gun-related charge in a year.

He is being charged with Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree. Assault in the First Degree is listed as a serious violent crime, subjecting Drayton to the jurisdiction of adult court. No bail amount was set.

The video attached is from KIRO 7′s coverage of the shooting at the beginning of April.