'Glad that I'm alive': Woman recounts experience of being shot in leg at Seattle nightclub
South Seattle nightclub shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 injured
A man died, and a woman was left with serious injuries following a drive-by shooting at a nightclub near the Georgetown neighborhood early Sunday morning, the Seattle Police Department said.
SEATTLE - A security guard is dead, and a woman is recovering from surgery after a drive-by shooting at Kittens Cabaret in South Seattle early Sunday morning.
Seattle police say a 36-year-old man working as a security guard was shot and killed at the gentleman's club. The female victim, Mariah Cusack, was shot in the leg and rushed to Harborview Medical Center for emergency treatment.
Authorities have not released suspect information, but investigators later recovered a burned getaway vehicle nearby.
What they're saying:
Surviving victim recounts hiding behind lockers
Cusack had been working as a dancer at the club for just a few days to make ends meet and support her daughter, while also working other jobs including house cleaning. She was working when gunfire erupted.
"Three or four other bullets went through the mirror and through the concrete wall, and so, I dragged myself across the floor and hid between some lockers," Cusack said.
The working mother described the fear she experienced as the barrage of bullets hit the building.
"I was terrified. I was scared. I'm just glad that I'm alive," Cusack said. "I was thinking about my daughter at home and how I just want to be alive to come home to her. I was thinking about the last moments I had with her."
1 dead, 1 injured after drive-by shooting at South Seattle nightclub
A man died and a woman was left with serious injuries following a drive-by shooting at a nightclub in south Seattle early Sunday morning, the Seattle Police Department said.
Surgery and recovery
Medics transported Cusack to Harborview Medical Center, where surgeons removed the bullet from her leg.
"I had to have surgery on my leg. It's my entire leg," Cusack said. "They had to take the bullet out because it was really in there."
Friends and family have established a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses during her long recovery off her feet. Cusack directed her message straight to the unidentified shooter.
"It's not OK. You have no heart," Cusack said. "It's just monster behavior."
Police search for suspect and potential motive
What's next:
Investigators have not publicly identified a suspect or established an official motive for the attack. However, Cusack's mother, Cara Cusack, offered her own theory after receiving the news.
"My mind immediately goes to that had to be a disgruntled patron of some sort," Cara Cusack said.
Homicide and Crime Scene Investigation detectives continue to investigate the shooting. Cusack confirmed she will not return to work at Kittens Cabaret.
FOX 13 News reached out to Kittens Cabaret for comment, but we have not heard back. When the club responds, we'll update our reporting.
The Source: Information for this story came from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle's Dan Griffin, who spoke with Mariah and Cara Cusack along with reaching out to Kittens Cabaret.
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