Former Sonics star Shawn Kemp arrested for alleged drive-by shooting charge

53-year-old Shawn Kemp, who used to be an NBA star for the Seattle SuperSonics back in the day, was arrested this Wednesday and booked into a Washington state jail after allegedly shooting another person near a mall. 

It seems that the six-time NBA All-Star was registered at a Pierce County jail yesterday before 6pm local time (9pm ET) on a felony drive-by shooting charge, as it’s displayed on the county records. Darren Moss Jr., the Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, confirmed it was the former basketball player.

UPDATE: Shawn Kemp had his property stolen from his vehicle and used the Find My iPhone app to track it, once he approached the car the suspect fired at him and Kemp fired back. pic.twitter.com/BUzz2FZjhy

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 9, 2023

It all started when officials answered the call to reports of shots fired between two drivers stationed in a mall’s parking lot. The altercation happened around 2pm local time (5pm ET), as the Tacoma Police Department stated.

Officials said that one of the drivers involved in the altercation opened fire with several rounds, as the “victim vehicle” had no choice but to flea the scene. With the firearm recovered, they only identified the subject as a 53-year-old, and was immediately taken into custody to a local jail.

The Tacoma Police Department’s spokesperson declined to give any more information up to this point.

Hours later, videos began to appear in the internet which travelled all the way to the news’ headlines, where a man in a red vest jacket can be seen arguing with another person, until gunshots ring out and one of the drivers gets into his car and escapes.

Who was Kemp as an NBA player and who is he nowadays?

Kemp was drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder and went on to play 14 seasons in the league. He debuted professionally as a 20-year-old during the 1989/90 campaign even though he had never played college basketball.

He is mostly known for being a legendary player for the former Washington state franchise, but the big man also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic.

Not too long ago, the NBA prepared a highlight video of his 50 best plays. Watch some of his greatest moments as a pro athlete in the video below:

During his career playing in center position, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists over 1051 NBA contests. He finally retired in 2002 playing for the Magic.

Kemp has had trouble with authority in the past, as he was previously arrested two times on drug charges in the early 2000s. According to The Associated Press, his charges mostly included marijuana possession, which makes sense considering that the former player now operates cannabis shops in Seattle.

The 53-year-old could be facing up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to $20,000 if he is finally convicted, as drive-by shooting is listed as a class B felony according to Washington law.

Nevertheless, as no person was reported harmed after the incident, it is suspected that no charges will be filed against Shawn Kemp following his arrest.