Barry Lee Saunders Jr., 21, of Tukwila, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy Nov. 22 at Westfield Southcenter mall, is to be arraigned Dec. 8.

Saunders was captured in Portland on Nov. 26 by Portland police officers, working with Tukwila police.

Saunders was returned to Washington state on Monday and is being held at the King County Jail in downtown Seattle. He will be arraigned at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Bail has been set at $1 million.

Saunders was identified through eyewitness accounts and images taken from security cameras inside the mall, according to Mike Murphy, a spokesman for the Tukwila Police Department.

Killed in the crowded mall Saturday was 17-year-old Diaquan Jones. He died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen; his death was ruled a homicide by the King County Medical Examiner's Office.

A 15-year-old boy with him, Jermaine McGowan, was wounded but recovered at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Saunders was charged on Nov. 25 with second-degree murder and first-degree assault by county Prosecutor Daniel Satterberg. If convicted, he would face between 18 years and 25 years in prison.

In requesting $1 million, prosecutors write in charging papers that "the defendant's actions – firing semi-automatic pistol in the middle of a crowded shopping mall – demonstrate that he presents a risk of danger to the community."

According to prosecutors, Saunders' criminal history includes a juvenile conviction for third-degree theft.

The shooting apparently stemmed from an altercation involving several individuals from two distinct groups.

Most of the witnesses referred to in the charging papers are not identified.

According to charging papers, Tukwila Police officers patrolling the mall heard shots at 3:43 p.m. on Nov. 22. The officers, who were on the mall's second floor, rushed to the balcony over the area where the shots occurred.

The officers saw people running, including a male who saw the officers and then turned directions, according to charging papers.

The man, who isn't named in charging papers, was attempting to take off his jacket to alter his appearance when he was confronted by officers, according to charging papers.

Officers found another person on the floor near the Escape Outdoors store who was involved in the fight but who wasn't shot. Jones and McGowan were lying on the mall hallway where the shooting occurred.

Part of the shooting, including someone holding a gun and the victim being shot, was recorded on an Escape Outdoors' surveillance camera, according to charging papers.

The two groups crossed paths. A witness from Saunders' group told officers the four men in the group that included Jones and McGowan "threw signs and taunted [one of the witnesses] by insulting one of his friends who had been shot earlier."

A fight broke out and two gunshots were heard, according to charging papers.

Witnesses identified Saunders in photographs as the man who had shot Jones and McGowan, according to charging papers.

• Civil
• Smart
• On-topic
• Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.

As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag" button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that particular comment.

Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk to us privately.