Man shot near St. James Cathedral Friday identified as rap performer

The man shot to death near St. James Cathedral Friday night was identified Saturday by his family as Max Gasoi, a local rap performer and promoter.

Miko Braxton, 21, the mother of Gasoi's infant daughter, said police told her that Gasoi died after being shot in the chest by an assailant. He was found lying next to a car in the street just around the corner from the church on Ninth Avenue shortly after 9 p.m.

Braxton said Gasoi had an appointment, but didn't know the details.

She believes that the 22-year-old Gasoi — who Braxton acknowledged "lived the gangster lifestyle" — likely shot back at the gunman who shot him.

Witnesses described a trio of shots that sounded like different caliber guns being fired.

Braxton said Gasoi had recently incorporated a record label — So Hood Records — and had been having success promoting material he performed under the name, "AKshun Tha Don."

On the So Hood MySpace page, Gasoi wrote that he was born in New York City, but moved to Seattle "in hopes of a better life."

He wrote that he moved to the Central District, where he made his living rapping and on the streets.

"They call me AKshun 'cause my life is like a action movie," he wrote. "My music is like a action packed movie."

Police said Friday they had no suspects in the case and Braxton said she had no idea who was responsible. "He was just supposed to come home and be with me and our girl," she said.

When police arrived on the scene around 9:10 p.m. they found Gasoi lying in the street next to the open driver's seat door of a parked car near the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Columbia Street.

Police had no description of the shooter, said police spokesman Jeff Kappel. Keith O'Connor, an employee at the Frederic Ozanam House, a residence for formerly homeless men, said he heard three gunshots. He said it sounded like two guns with different calibers were fired.

"I saw somebody running down the street," O'Connor said.

The assailant apparently ran away to the east, according to a police radio dispatch.

Seattle Times staff reporter Keith Ervin contributed to this report.