Questions emerge as hunt continues for accused Bellevue killer

By Tricia Manning-Smith and KOMO Staff Published: Dec 29, 2012 at 6:28 PM PDT Last Updated: Dec 31, 2012 at 9:20 PM PDT
Questions emerge as hunt continues for accused Bellevue killer »Play Video
The interior of the Munchbar, where tables are seen overturned and debris strewn about, is photographed Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, in Bellevue, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
BELLEVUE, Wash. - More questions are emerging about a deadly shooting at a Bellevue night spot as police continue their manhunt for the suspected killer.

Meanwhile, a state Liquor Control Board official confirms that Munchbar in Bellevue Square, where the shooting took place, has previous liquor violations on its record - including an earlier one for serving an underage minor.

The bar has been closed since last Monday's shooting due to the ongoing homicide investigation. But on Saturday, the black curtains covering Munchbar were the only visible clue that something is wrong. The yellow crime scene tape is gone, and there were no signs explaining if or when the bar might reopen.

Police say suspect Ja'Mari Alexander Jones was there during the Seahawks victory party that drew a crowd of hundreds when he pulled out a gun and opened fire. One question authorities are asking is why he was there in the first place - since he's underage, only 19 years old.

 Ja'Mari Jones


One source who was at the bar that night tells KOMO News that Munchbar security was horribly lax that night, adding that the nightclub was sorely ill-prepared and failed to have enough staff on site.

KOMO News called Munchbar managers on Saturday, but they wouldn't answer.

Many Seahawks players were in the jam-packed bar when the gunfire erupted after last Sunday's big win.

Court documents say that Jones fired at least five shots in the bar early last Monday morning, killing Deshawn Millikin, 30, of Seattle. Two other people were wounded by the gunfire - a 21-year-old man who sustained gunshots to the hand and arm and a woman who sustained gunpowder burns and may have been grazed by a bullet.

But Jones is a convicted felon - found guilty three years ago of the high-profile murder of Ed McMichael - better known as Seattle's "Tuba Man." Jones is not legally able to carry a gun.

Court documents also say the bar was "extremely overcrowded" - and some say there were more than 600 people there. But how did so many people get in? Nearby restaurants limit maximum capacity to between 200 and 300 people. Again, Munchbar managers did not respond to calls from KOMO News.

Bellevue police are just the first to investigate Munchbar. The state Liquor Control Board is next - and reveals the night spot has past violations.

"They have two (violations) - one for over-service and one for a failed compliance check ... when our enforcement officers go out with underage operatives and they attempt to purchase alcohol," said Mikhail Carpenter of the Liquor Control Board.

Carpenter said the board will request the incident report from Bellevue police when it is completed, and then determine whether there was a violation of liquor laws.

"It's far too early for us to speculate at this point," he said. "We haven't seen the incident report. We don't know exactly what happened. Until we get that information, it's not good practice to speculate."

Meanwhile, no one admits to seeing suspect Ja'Mari Jones after he ran away from the crime - and he remains on the run.