Charge upgraded to murder in Burien bar shooting

Charge upgraded to murder in Burien bar shooting

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Story Published: May 7, 2008 at 7:07 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 7:31 PM PDT

By Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) - King County prosecutors have charged a 27-year-old man with first-degree murder for shooting and killing another man at a bar in Burien.

Bruce Sivao "Monk" Matagi, of Auburn, was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder.

Ben Laumea, a father of six, died on Monday evening at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center.

If convicted, the sentence range is 26 to 33 years in prison.

Matagi is being held in the King County Jail on $3 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 15 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Investigators say Laumea was shot once in the head with an AK-47 early Sunday at the MVP Sports Bar, where he used to work. Witnesses say he was attempting to stop a man who came into the bar and started shooting at the ceiling.

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