Slain Growler Guys worker met shooter earlier in the night, police say

A 20-year-old Auburn man waived his first court appearance Tuesday when a King County District Court judge found probable cause to hold him on investigation of second-degree murder for allegedly shooting a Lake City taproom employee in the back of the head during an after-hours hangout.

The man who was killed, Quusaa "Q" Margarsa, 25, had closed up The Growler Guys in the 8500 block of Lake City Way Northeast on Friday night before returning to the business hours later. He was accompanied by a man - who police determined to be the suspect - and a woman he met at a hookah lounge on Aurora Avenue North, according to the probable cause statement outlining the police case against the 20-year-old.

Defense attorney Pete Mazzone argued the shooting "is a clear case of self-defense" and noted his client doesn't have significant criminal history, is employed at Boeing, has "stable parents" and turned himself in to police. Mazzone, in requesting that bail be set at $250,000, also said the gun used in the shooting and the clothes his client was wearing at the time were turned over to police.

Senior deputy prosecutor Christopher Anderson, however, said Margarsa was shot while leading the two others to the door and a key was found near Margarsa's right hand. The shooting was also captured by The Growler Guys' video surveillance system, he said. Anderson argued the 20-year-old is a danger to the community and asked for bail to be set at $2 million.

Judge Matthew York agreed with Anderson, citing the "brazen" nature of the alleged shooting, and set bail at $2 million.

According to the probable cause statement, a co-worker found the top part of a Dutch door open when he arrived Saturday morning at The Growler Guys, went inside and found Margarsa on the floor in a pool of blood with three fired casings nearby. He called 911.

During the investigation, police learned Margarsa was friends with the son of The Growler Guys' owners and had worked at the taproom for about a year, the statement says. Other friends told police they saw Margarsa at the Lava Hookah Lounge, about 3 miles from the taproom, roughly between 3 and 5 a.m. Saturday and that he left with the man and woman he met there, according to police.

Based on the surveillance footage, the trio returned to The Growler Guys shortly before 5:30 a.m. and spent about an hour "hanging out, drinking and possibly doing narcotics together," the probable cause statement says. The video doesn't include audio but there appeared to be some kind of "verbal disagreement" and when Margarsa turned his back to the others to unlock the door "the male suspect pulled out a handgun from his crossbody bag and shot Margarsa multiple times in the back," it says.

The man and woman left through the top half of the Dutch door and fled in the woman's car, according to the statement.

Defense attorneys for both the man and woman ultimately contacted police on their clients' behalf, the statement says.

Prosecutors are expected to make a charging decision this week.

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