Teen suspect in Seattle Bite shooting had earlier gun charges
Court records reveal that a 19-year-old suspect in the Bite of Seattle shooting was previously arrested for unlawful firearm possession, including a Glock equipped with a prohibited automatic-fire device.
Police investigating the fatal shootout at Seattle's Bite of Seattle event discovered that one of the alleged shooters, 19-year-old Junior Niko-Semo, had been arrested earlier in 2024 after officers responded to gunfire in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. Court documents show he was found with a Glock 19 handgun, an extended-round magazine and a “Glock switch” that can convert the weapon to fully automatic fire, both violations of federal law. The same type of illegal device was identified on a firearm recovered at the Bite of Seattle scene.
A separate weapon, a Polymer 80 9mm “ghost gun” lacking a serial number, was recovered from a 15-year-old boy arrested at the event. Both firearms are prohibited for individuals under 21 under state and federal statutes.
"You have at least two individuals who are in unlawful possession of a firearm because under both state and federal law you have to be 21 in order to possess a handgun," said William Kirk, president of Washington Gun Law. "You have a firearm that is an untraceable firearm, which is prohibited by state law. You have another firearm that has a Glock switch on it, which is prohibited by both state and federal law. There are at least half a dozen crimes violated just leading up to the shots being fired."
The juvenile court records also indicate that Niko-Semo faced additional sealed charges prior to the 2024 arrest.