One man killed, another wounded in Central Area shooting in Seattle

One man was killed and another critically wounded in a shooting this morning at a Central Area restaurant.

Police say the shooting may be connected with a shooting earlier in the morning in West Seattle. They are looking for a suspect in the West Seattle shooting and say he may also be "associated" with the shooting at the restaurant.

The suspect was identified as Rey Alberto Davis-Bell, 23. He is believed to be driving a black 2002 Lincoln Continental, with license plate 210XMJ. The vehicle has chrome wheels and heavily tinted windows, police said.

"This suspect is very heavily armed and very dangerous," said Seattle police Capt. Mike Fann.

Police and medics were dispatched to Philadelphia Cheese Steak at 23rd Avenue and East Union Street after receiving reports that at least two men were shot, including one employee. The shooting occurred at about 11:15 a.m.

The two shooting victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where one of the men died this afternoon. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said the second man is in critical condition.

While neither shooting victim was identified by name, Leila Martinez, a neighbor of the Cheese Steak restaurant, said one of the men who was shot is "a good guy." She said the man was employed at the restaurant.

"He's married and has young kids," Martinez said. "He's a sweet man. He doesn't do nothing but work or go home."

Police said they believe the shooting is somehow related to a shooting at 10:47 this morning outside a house in the 5900 block of Delridge Way Southwest. No one was injured in that shooting. Police believe the gunman left the Delridge Way location and went to the restaurant, where he opened fire.

Police said the shootings appear to be the result of some type of domestic dispute.

They identified Davis-Bell as a suspected in the Delridge Way shooting and said he is "associated with the gunfire inside the restaurant.

Carrie Halterman, the manager of a state liquor store across Union Street from the restaurant, said she heard between six and eight gunshots. "There's so much construction going on in the area, so it didn't register for about 30 seconds that it was actually gunshots," she said.

Halterman and co-worker Janet Trahan said they saw a man and woman run out of the back of the restaurant after the shooting and into a nearby bank building. She believes they may have been employees of the restaurant who fled to call for help. She said her view of the front of the restaurant is blocked.

The bank building has been closed for the investigation.

The restaurant was formerly known as Philly's Best Steaks & Hoagies, a popular sandwich shop whose owner, Troy Hackett, was fatally shot in his car at the corner of 19th Avenue and East Fir Street in July 2003.

Martinez, who lives nearby, said that during her more that 30 years in the area she has seen her share of violent crime.

"This is my home, I was raised here. I worry," Martinez said.

Suga Chambliss, who works at Thompson's Point of View, a Creole restaurant behind the Cheese Steak restaurant, said it's uncommon to see violence in the area during the day.

"People eat over there then they come over here," Chambliss said. "We're all family."

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com