Former NBA star Shawn Kemp charged in parking lot shooting

Shawn Kemp is being charged in connection with an incident involving a stolen cell phone.

SEATTLE (AP) — Prosecutors in Washington state charged former NBA star Shawn Kemp on Friday with first-degree assault in a parking lot shooting last month over a stolen cellphone, saying that in a text message just before the shooting, Kemp wrote, “I’m about to shoot this (expletive).”

Kemp was apprehended following the gunfire incident outside Tacoma Mall on March 8. Despite the shooting, there were no injuries. His attorneys maintain that Kemp acted in self-defense, returning fire after attempting to recover a cellphone that was stolen from him earlier in the day.

According to the document, Kemp informed the police that he returned to his own vehicle, parked a few spots distant, to retrieve his gun after being shot at. However, the video evidence contradicted this, revealing Kemp was already armed as he approached the parked Toyota 4Runner, where he had traced his phone.

The statement revealed that Kemp located his phone in a Toyota 4Runner SUV, parked close to a JCPenney department store. He then parked his Porsche a few spaces away, took a handgun from his backpack, and advanced towards the 4Runner, as per the statement.

The statement revealed that he discharged his weapon into the Toyota thrice before discarding his gun into some shrubbery. The 4Runner’s driver seemed to evade one of the shots and eventually sped away, according to the statement. Kemp’s arrival and the 4Runner’s departure were approximately five minutes apart.

The bullets hit the 4Runner, penetrating the front license plate mount, the front quarter panel near the steering wheel, and the front passenger door.

Kemp is scheduled for arraignment on May 4.

Kemp, a six-time NBA all-star, played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, Cleveland, Portland and Orlando. He now owns two licensed cannabis stores in Seattle.

In the 1989-90 season, Kemp made his NBA debut as a 20-year-old who had never participated in college basketball. He quickly gained recognition for his spectacular high-flying dunks.