Updated 11:25 a.m.: Seattle Police homicide detectives and a SWAT team arrested a 25-year-old man near Shoreline yesterday afternoon.
Today detectives announced the man has been booked into King County Jail for investigation of the murder of Robert Baker on April 22nd on Leary Ave. in Ballard. Police did not reveal the suspect’s name or a possible motive in the case.
“This remains an active and on-going investigation,” explains Detective Mark Jamieson. “Anyone with information on this crime is asked to contact investigators at (206) 233-5000.”
The shooting occurred near The Shelter and Cedar Room along NW Leary Way early Sunday morning on April 22nd. The brother of UW football star Budda Baker, Robert Baker died of a gunshot wound to the chest despite officers’ efforts to revive him.
Baker (above) was a well-known youth football coach, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to support his wife Samantha and three children he left behind.
“Please help support our family during this difficult time and to help stay on our feet while we move forward from this tragedy,” Samantha Baker posted on GoFundMe. “Anything helps and we appreciate the love and support in advance.”
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
Glad I don’t live in ballard anymore. It’s almost as bad as Burien!
Things have changed since BHS Class of 57 – we had a dream, or at least a song was about that.
$50 says this “football coach” was doing some dirt. Deal gone bad.
Can someone delete Sawant’s comment? The family doesn’t need this from some ignorant jack ass who knows nothing about what happened.
@Shelly
I love how you libs fall over yourselves defending sociopaths but demand censorship:
“Back in 2016, the brothers were profiled by Sports Illustrated as Budda Baker was on his way to becoming an All-American who helped lead UW to the Pac-12 Championship and an eventual College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
The brothers exchanged hand-written notes for seven years as Robert Baker was serving a prison sentence for first-degree robbery and possession of a firearm. SI reported Robert Baker would watch UW games with guards and inmates whenever his younger brother was on TV.
Robert Baker told SI he had a gun when he confronted a friend who he claimed owed him money. The incident led to his arrest with Robert Baker also telling the publication the gun was used in other crimes he did not commit.
“I learned life can be taken away from you in two ways: death or prison,” Robert Baker was quoted as saying to SI. “I’m lucky it was prison, because death was around the corner.”
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/homicide-detectives-investigate-after-man-shot-dead-in-ballard/736371097
Delete nasty troll posts like this enough times and they will go away and cry for attention somewhere else.
As a father myself, I often think I should be hanging out on Leary Way at 2am more often. For the kids’ sake.
@Elencho
Drug dealers are nasty. Sex offenders are nasty. Thieves are nasty. Robbers are nasty, and increasingly their defenders are nastier and nastier.
And today in the neighborhood we have:
Beat:B2, STRONG ARM ROBBERY at 9XX BLOCK OF NW 45 ST reported on 5/1/2018 3:27 PM, Call# 18000153830
Attention-starved shut-ins who lie on the internet to distract from their self-loathing are nasty. Targeting the most vulnerable people in society with offensive lies, all because you’re afraid of everything, is nasty.
Ditch all the sockpuppets, snowflake. You’re unique. There’s nobody else like you.
Does anyone wish to refute the journalism which Bhagwan discovered?
If it’s true my inference is that two out-of-towners came to Ballard on a club night. Perhaps a financial transaction went bad; perhaps an honor killing.
Nothing to do with local residents (conventionally housed or otherwise. Nothing to do with Mike O’Brien. I will continue to avoid that area at clubbing time.
Let’s hope My Ballard stays on top of this story!
Sockpuppetry fail. So lame.
More info about the murderer and the arrestee: It’s In The P.I.
The Cedar Room is a hole. It is morphing into a bona fide trouble spot. As long as this place is in business – expect more of the same.
” the most vulnerable people in society ”
AKA, dad’s hanging out on Leary Way at 2am.
ELENCHOS used to be Slog’s resident virtue signaling, soy boy until I slapped him around and he fled. Now he’s back here reclaiming his mantel as Ballard’s resident beta-male.
@BeCalm
“Does anyone wish to refute the journalism which Bhagwan discovered?”
Of course they didn’t, which is why they screech about censoring me.
As far as O’Brien not being to blame – ackshually – the gangs move the hard drugs, and when they have beef, they shoot each other sometimes. We permitted the junkies to squat everywhere so now gang presence is up to supply them. Pretty basic stuff here. You may have notice the gang tags cropping up everywhere.
looks like the suspect is Christopher Miles Gates – back in 2015 he was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (imagine that!) . That case however was dismissed.
Hello all, this is my first time posting. This My mom and grandpa are from Ballard, but I’m from NE and live on Cap Hill. This town is going to shit thanks to our idiotic City Council allowing open hard drug use and wimpy prosecutors. Ubiquitous mindless lefty drones aren’t helping they’re just as stupid as foaming at the mouth right-wingers. Enforcing basic law and order and city cleanliness shouldn’t be a partisan issue, its about making a city safe and clean for everybody.
“looks like the suspect is Christopher Miles Gates – back in 2015 he was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (imagine that!) . That case however was dismissed.”
Welcome to Weepy Mike O’Brien’s world of “restorative” justice.
See, if you’re going to post the same things in the same way five or six or ten times in the same thread, using different names each time, it doesn’t fool anybody. Just use the same handle. If you’re going to use dogwhistles as obvious as “soy boy”, you might as well pick a name with KKK or SS or Riech in it. You’re really not fooling anybody.
Now, go look in the mirror and say out loud: “I am the only alt-right white supremacist on my local neighborhood blog, and it bothers me so much I use sockpuppets to pretend I’m not alone.” See if you can look yourself in the eye when you say that. Why is it so hard to do? It’s your self respect calling. It’s trying to tell you something you need to hear.
This kind of violent crime is usually in the southend, Rainier Beach, Burien and other trouble spots. Rare for Ballard. I feel sorry for the victim’s family.
Elenchos, given up screaming “Nazi!” on slog?
First answer the question: what “black on white hate crime” is being tolerated? Or admit you made it up. If you want to interrogate anyone you’re first going to answer questions yourself. And stop socking. There are rules.
Otherwise, ask away, and you will get no answers. I’m only going to mock you for being pathetic.
Who shot the guy in the RV a few weeks ago here in Ballard?
@Elenchos
Tukwila is just a few freeway exits away. Feel free to return to the ancestral strip malls that call out to you over the gunshots and screams of violent teens.
Thats great news, i hope the police got the right guy, it’s sad to that he left 3 little kids behind.
It’s like every time you don’t want to answer a question you switch to a different sock puppet and start spewing snobbery and racial stereotypes. Half the time you pretend you live in a gated community that’s too good for the rest of us, and the other half you bemoan that it’s too gentrified. See what I mean about self-loathing?
@Elenchos. I answered your question, I believe anyone living in the South End could explain it.
The concept of “white flight” exists for a reason. I didn’t invent it, nor do i defend it per se, but it stems from feeling unsafe in your formerly safe neighborhood. You know, just how lefties love their “safe spaces” – some people don’t want to get jumped for the $50 in their wallet by a wannabe gangster.
It’s a now win. Move in, it’s gentrification, move out and it’s “white flight”. And now you want more taxes while calling everyone racist. Good luck with that.
well as i hear it, a certain someone came across a gun and for whatever reason gave it to his long time on and off again girlfriend who is with a real super gem of a guy who i have the creepiest of feelings shot the old man.
You never answered the question. You ranted “If I am a white man and I walk on a bus without paying, with a beer in my hand, and begin harassing other riders, I will be kicked off by the entire bus, not just the driver.” You ranted about white men being kicked out of festivals for harassing people, but not anyone of color.
You never cited one example. An actual thing that actually happened. You guys keep saying the police won’t do anything about your “crime” reports, but your so-called “crime” reports are nonsense like your posts here. You rant about things you didn’t actually witness, exaggerate things you did, and demand the police harass and arrest people for looking like they don’t fit in. When they tell you they can’t do that, you fly into a rage. Nobody can reason with you.
You’re making it up. Either cite one actual example, or admit you’re making it up. Man up, Simon.
A job well done! This is a beautiful piece. Trust me, the sky is your limit…
Elenchos in short…
“Get off my lawn!”
Just add TLDR to your monicker.
To all of you taking jabs at each other over a human being who didn’t deserve to be shot down no matter where he was or at what time he was there, just know he was real to me. His wife and her mom were my roonmates when she was just one year old. She and her 3 kids should not have to be subject to the mudslinging that some are doing here. It really is in poor taste. A young man who was also a father and a husband and who was trying to get his life right is dead and no longer has that chance. So do yourself a favor and show some restraint in passing judgement on others because Lord knows that none of us are perfect. NONE of us.
I agree, Amy. We should focus on finding and convicting his Murderer, which I presume is your hope too!
@Amy
Yeah i feel really badly for a violent felon getting zero’d out of the street game. Try not to cry too hard over your $100 pizza.
Meanwhile, a few days ago a coach dad was shot in West Seattle for what? Should we feel bad for the killers when they get capped in a few months?
4/5 stars for virtue signalling according to the affluent white mom script, lose a point for lack of originality. Eat more kale
Obviously you have never made a mistake in your life and think it’s ok to just shoot people down in the streets Bhagwan. Judgement Day will be a long one for you.
Less than thrilled with a man shot to death outside a bar at closing time = “virtue signaling”.
This kind of outrageous attitude is why you guys feel so frustrated that local leaders don’t listen to you. They *don’t* want to listen to you. They don’t want to even be seen as associated with you. At least try to present yourself with a little common decency. Try it! Works wonders.