Two men charged in downtown Seattle shooting

SEATTLE — Two men accused of instigating a gunfight in downtown Seattle in January have each been charged with first-degree murder, six counts of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Marquise Tolbert and William Toliver, both 24, were arrested leaving a hotel near the Las Vegas Strip on Saturday and appeared in court Tuesday, where both waived extradition to Washington.

In the charges filed Wednesday, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mary Barbosa indicated the state will ask that Tolbert and Toliver be held without bail, The Seattle Times reported.

“In the present case, the defendants instigated a shoot-out with a rival gang member on a crowded street corner in downtown Seattle at the beginning of the evening commute. Both defendants fired a combined total of at least 20 rounds with no regard for the dozens of innocent people all around them,” Barbosa wrote in the charges.

“One person was killed, multiple people were shot, one was injured by shattered glass and buses and buildings were damaged by bullets. Their willingness to commit such a violent crime in this public setting shows they are a substantial danger to the community,” Barbosa wrote.

It is unclear when Tolbert and Toliver will be transported back to Seattle but both are scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 19, according to prosecutors.

The two men and Jamel Jackson, 21, are accused of roles in the shooting that police said erupted at rush hour following a fight outside a fast-food restaurant. Jackson has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Tanya Jackson, 50, a group housing facility resident, was killed.