On Saturday around 10 p.m., Kirkland Police Officers responded to the report of gun shots at the Kingsgate Safeway, located at NE 145th Street and 124th Avenue NE. The initial investigation revealed a man had an exchange of words in the store with two patrons. The same man confronted the two patrons in the parking lot. The man challenged the two patrons to a fight pulling up his shirt to show he had a handgun in the waistband of his pants. He then got into the vehicle driven by another which was parked in the parking lot. Witnesses reported, when the vehicle left the lot the man fired two to three rounds into the air. Located at the scene were two .40 caliber shell casings. Kirkland Police Detectives were able to obtain video footage which they used to positively identify the shooter as Benjamin A. Henderson.

On July 10 at about 11:30 p.m., Henderson was contacted in Kenmore by Kenmore Police Officers. He was arrested and was in possession of a .40 caliber handgun. Kenmore Police brought Henderson to the Kirkland Police Department. During Henderson’s interview with Kirkland Police Detectives he admitted that he did not know the men he tried to fight and had been the person who fired the gun. After the interview he was booked into the King County Jail. Henderson is being charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Drive-by Shooting, and Felony Harassment.

For any additional local information please contact Public Information Officer Tiffany Trombley, Kirkland Police Department at 425-587-3477 or ttrombley@kirklandwa.gov.