0 Tax-related charges to be filed against King's Hookah Lounge

SEATTLE - The city of Seattle has filed charges against King's Hookah Lounge for failure to pay business taxes.

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Leader Donnie Chin was killed near the hookah lounge

Gunman in Chin’s death still at large

Mayor announced charges Monday

Community leader Donnie Chin was killed near the hookah lounge on July 23. Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle police chief said police are working around the clock on the case.

Murray announced the charges Monday. He said he wants a broader strategy on gun violence that includes promoting and supporting programs for youth that keep them away from such establishments.

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The mayor said authorities will be attempting to shut down all 11 hookah lounges (see on map below) within the city of Seattle. He said it is illegal to smoke indoors in a public space or place of employment. But enforcement has been difficult until now.

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King’s Hookah Lounge was the approximate location of many police calls over the last two years, according to the city of Seattle.

Those calls included one homicide, one disturbance – shots fired, one car prowl – gun taken, three disturbances, one disturbance – domestic violence, two fights, one assault, one suspicious circumstance – shots fired, one suspicious stop and one noise complaint.

Throughout the city, Mayor Murray said there have been more than 100 fights and four shootings near hookah lounges in the last 18 months. One of those shootings was at Beacon Espresso and Hookah Lounge on the same weekend that Chin was killed. That business in Beacon Hill has since shut down.

In June 2014, Mohammed Osman was shot to death near a hookah lounge at 12th and Main, also in the International District.

King County Public Health has already issued notices to 10 hookah lounges in violation of the no-smoking law.

The city of Seattle has so far criminally charged only King’s Hookah Lounge, but the city attorney said charges against others could soon follow.

The owner of King’s Hookah Lounge, Amar Alalimi, told KIRO 7 by phone that he bought the place in November 2014. He said any tax issues or violence before then were not his responsibility.

He also said Donnie Chin’s murder happened two hours after his business closed that day.

Nebil Mohammed, who owns Medina Hookah Lounge near King’s, said shutting all hookah lounges is unfair.

“He would have been sad, because we had a good relationship. I helped Donnie with a lot of stuff around there,” Mohammed said. “I believe the underlying situation is not the hookah lounges. It’s the youth problem.”

King County Public Health filed an injunction against Medina and Night Owl in January. A spokesperson for the department said they are going to trial against Medina, and Night Owl has since shut down.

Councilman John Okamoto said in the news briefing that hookah lounges have violated city and county laws, and that their owners are not listening to neighbors.

“It is frankly offensive for these lounges to open up near elders, living in assisted living facilities. It makes no sense for these lounges to expose our youth believing that somehow smoking will not be detrimental to their health,” Okamoto said, in reference to King’s Hookah Lounge.

Okamoto called Chin, the former International District Emergency Center director, a guardian angel of the Chinatown district.



Bob Santos, a community activist, said Chin carried a 40-pound emergency kit from one side of the ID to the other, helping those in need.



Murray said Chin was concerned about violence near King's Hookah Lounge.

Chin was called to the report of a dispute between two rival groups in that general area, around 3 a.m. July 23, police told KIRO 7 that day.



He was shot three times.

>> See photos from the scene here



Police said the gunman is still at large.

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Seattle police chief Kathleen O'Toole said the department fully supports enforcement against hookah lounges.



In addition to concerns about violence, the health board addressed the hazards of smoking indoors.



The Somali Health Board said there should be alternative activities for young people besides hookah lounges where smoke can cause cancer.

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