Chop Suey Shooter Pleads Guilty to Murder
The man who fired into a packed crowd at a hiphop show in Cap Hill in January 2009 has pleaded guilty to first degree murder. Carlos Bernardez shot three people, killing one. Joseph Ryan died at the scene. An accomplice, Roger LaBranche, allegedly shot another rapper in the coordinated attack.
From the King County Prosecutor's Office:
Carlos R. Bernardez pleaded guilty this morning to first degree murder with a firearm enhancement for the January 2009 shooting death of hip-hop performer Joseph Ryan at the Chop Suey nightclub in Seattle. Bernardez, 20, also pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree assault for wounding two others during the shooting. Sentencing is scheduled for August 13 at 2:45 p.m. before King County Superior Court Judge Timothy Bradshaw at the King County Courthouse, courtroom W-719. The sentence range is 28 to 36 years in prison. Prosecutors will recommend a 30-year sentence.