FOLLOWUP: Charge filed against North Delridge rifle-firing suspect Tony Samoun

The 29-year-old man arrested for allegedly firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air at his North Delridge apartment on the 4th of July is now charged. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has just filed one count of first-degree unlawful firearm possession against Tony Samoun. Charging documents lay out the same allegations as the probable-cause documents from which we wrote yesterday’s bail-hearing report – that police were in the area, heard suspected gunshots, learned 911 calls had come in, and found witnesses near 25th/Dakota, leading them eventually to Samoun, who is described as having confessed to shooting into the air as part of an Independence Day celebration. The charging documents contain a little more information about the gun that both police and prosecutors called an “assault rifle” – it is described as a “Romar AK-47 … 7.62 caliber semi-automatic rifle,” found “unloaded, without a magazine in it,” behind a washing machine in the apartment, where police found “sixteen fired 7.62 casings” in the front yard. Its serial number is listed in the report but there’s nothing further about its origin.

Samoun’s bail remains at $50,000, the amount set yesterday. The charging papers say he has 15 prior convictions between 1999 and 2011, most of them property crimes. The photo above is from 2010, the newest one on file at the state Department of Corrections.

Double Dub Resident July 7, 2016 (5:18 pm)

Winning!!! This guy is just a POS, averaging over 1 conviction per year between 1999 to 2011.

Why not also charge him with unlawful discharge of a firearm since he confessed to it already? Oh well, at least he’s being charged with 1st degree.

coffee July 7, 2016 (5:35 pm)

Again why does anyone need a gun of that level…….

Chuck July 7, 2016 (6:40 pm)

It depends what you mean by “level.” It also depends what you mean by “need.”
Jon July 7, 2016 (7:58 pm)

The rifle in question is no higher “level” than something any citizen could legally purchase at a Cabela’s; something probably at least one person you run into on a daily basis owns. Without full-auto functionality, it is essentially a smaller hunting rifle in a slightly different form-factor. The only other major difference is that a specialized marksman rifle – such as those typically used in hunting – are far more accurate, are usually bolt-action, and typically have a longer range.

As for “need” — it’s the right of any law-abiding citizen to own a number of lawful firearms. With all due respect, nobody owes you an explanation as to why they own them.

A repeat criminal broke some laws. No surprise there. Luckily, nobody was hurt and SPD did a great job with the situation.
Bradley July 7, 2016 (7:58 pm)

Could you clarify why you are concerned with someone (other than a felon or other such disqualified individual) from owning a mid-level rifle?
Safety Officer July 7, 2016 (8:07 pm)

Well…

If a convicted felon is running around with an AK-47 clone, the law abiding citizen should be equally armed for self defense.

Free speech July 7, 2016 (8:20 pm)

Hope he gets the full measure of the law, this guy is garbage

MJ July 7, 2016 (8:31 pm)

I’m always surprised how seriously people take gun rights. Any mention that maybe we don’t need them and people are up in arms. Pun intended. Sure it’s legal but we’d have a lot fewer deaths without them.

Jon July 7, 2016 (9:20 pm)

Well, just count yourself lucky that you’ve apparently never found yourself in any bad situations, I suppose. I can tell you from experience that police response time is a lot slower than you’d hope it is.

Some people disagree with the First Amendment, as well — because it protects the speech and opinions of those whom they disagree with.
Chuck July 7, 2016 (9:24 pm)

MJ, you’re surprised that people take basic human rights seriously? The problem isn’t people who don’t feel they need a gun. It’s those that feel no one else should have them either. If you think fewer guns means fewer deaths, would you advocate disarming the police?

The felon in question violated many laws just by possessing the gun and ammunition before he fired it into the air, risking the lives, health, and property of our neighbors. I hope he spends a long time in prison.
- Jon July 7, 2016 (9:30 pm)
  
  Couldn’t agree more. Well said.

Jeannie July 7, 2016 (8:39 pm)

I’m sure Mr. Samoun is a responsible gun-owner who uses his mid-level rifle only for legal hunting. /sarcasm.

Jon July 7, 2016 (9:21 pm)

I don’t believe anybody said any such thing about the man in question. Please show me where any gun owners were defending the man’s actions.

Oakley34 July 7, 2016 (9:10 pm)

If only ALL gun owning felons barred from said ownership would be equally as considerate in alerting the authorities…

Alkiswimmer July 7, 2016 (10:02 pm)

All the new gun laws on the books, but there’s one simple one that should be passed-if you are a felon possessing a firearm here in Washington, the punishment should be life in prison, period. I for one am sick of these idiots who get released time and time again…

dracula July 8, 2016 (1:24 am)

that sounds like it would somehow increase the number of officer involved shootings and officer fatalities may not be a great idea… also please note your perception may be skewed by slant of media outlets you look to for news as you never hear about “these idiots” who get their life together in news

Jon July 8, 2016 (10:03 am)

Yeah, that’s not a great idea or viewpoint. People can be redeemed; and I’m not even religious. Not everyone in the criminal justice system is without hope; and even more don’t even deserve to be there (pot charges, et cetera).

Sally July 8, 2016 (6:36 am)

Thank you SPD for taking this scum off the streets….

john July 8, 2016 (7:15 am)

Irrefutable truth: fewer guns = fewer deaths from guns.

Ex-Westwood Resident July 8, 2016 (10:51 pm)

Poppy-cock!!!

Gun ownership has skyrocketed since 1993 and the “homicide by gun” rate has plummeted.

Don’t believe me? Check the FBI statistics.

MJ July 8, 2016 (8:29 am)

Guns aren’t a human right. God never said, let thee haveth firearms. The 2nd Amendment can be amended. I don’t think guns should be taken away, but our gun control is far too lax. I consider a basic human right more along the lines of not having to worry about mass shootings. If I had to choose between my kids being able to own guns and having to worry about mass shootings I’d give up the guns. Look at how many mass shootings we have vs other countries. Australia is a great example of what gun control can do.

Jon July 8, 2016 (10:00 am)

Agree to disagree, then. I’m not much of a god-fearing man, but — if you’re not a violent criminal, I have no problem with someone defending themselves and view it as a basic human right to protect yourself from harm. I think it’s perfectly reasonable for someone to go through the CPL process to maintain that right. But to each their own. Sadly, we do not live in a utopia — and Australians don’t either (but I’m sure it’s lovely in its own ways).

If you want to play numbers and statistics, you should be more terrified of distracted drivers, in my opinion. I certainly have almost been killed by cars more than guns.

Jw July 8, 2016 (8:30 am)

If anyone doesn’t understand what “these types” of weapons are for please look at what just happened in Dallas. semi or full auto, doesn’t matter. Standard issue Army rifle isn’t even full auto. So that’s really a silly argument. Also worth noting is that both this and ARs will easily penetrate body armor. They are weapons of war.

-I for one am sick of waking up to stories of people killed by guns, no matter the size, type, or intent. I for one will take the extreme side and say NO MORE GUNS! I will blindly vote yes on every measure that further restricts OUR 2nd amendment. I feel that this will do a greater service to my community than going out a buying a gun.

-bring on the rebuttals about my fear of guns, ignorance about them, or ignorance of the 2nd amendment….

-as stated above- fewer guns = fewer deaths from guns.

-sorry about the side track…this guy should be gone for a while…but probably not life…

WestPark July 8, 2016 (7:01 pm)

> I will blindly vote yes on every measure that further restricts OUR 2nd amendment.

“The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.”
Ex-Westwood Resident July 8, 2016 (11:03 pm)

Standard issue Army rifle isn’t even full auto.

INCORRECT!!!!

The standard military issue rifle is the M4. The M4 has three modes of fire;

1. Safe

2. Semi-Automatic – one trigger pull, one round

3. Burst – one trigger pull, three rounds fired

The M4A1 is issued to Special Forces (among others) that has a Full-Auto vice the Burst mode – one trigger pull and held = as many rounds until the trigger is released or the magazine is empty.

So you want to ban guns? I wonder how far you are willing to go? Are you willing to ban all the materials that make guns? All the machinery needed to make guns? Imprison all the people who have knowledge to make guns? Delete all the info on the web, burn all the books that teach how to make guns?
Bradley July 9, 2016 (2:39 pm)

“These types of weapons”? The Dallas assassin used a conventional, 70-year old, antique Chinese rifle, which is legal in every state, even in states with an “assault weapons” ban. If you have little knowledge of firearms, I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be advocating taking firearms rights away from your fellow Americans. All you are accomplishing, in a real sense, is driving your fellow, non-gun-owning Americans to the gun stores when they read that you want to prevent them from owning a gun.

ScubaFrog July 8, 2016 (11:49 am)

15 prior convictions. Amazing. Just out on the lawn ‘enjoying the 4th’, firing the rifle in the air 16 times… no biggie. Felon with a firearm? No biggie. Just let him plea to another felony, let him do a few months in jail – back on the streets with another rifle. Next time maybe he kills one of us (and by ‘us’ I mean law-abiding citizens).

Rusty July 8, 2016 (11:55 am)

MJ –

Speech isn’t a human right. God never said, let thee haveth free speech. The 1st Amendment can be amended. I don’t think speech should be taken away,
but our speech control is far too lax. I consider a basic human right more
along the lines of not having to worry about mass offensiveness. If I had to
choose between my kids being able to speak freely and having to worry about
mass offensive speech I’d give up the speech. Look at how much offensive speech we
have vs other countries. Saudi Arabia is a great example of what speech
control can do.

Is that as offensive as your post? To me, equally so – if you really believe that gun control works, why don’t we take a look at Chicago – 82 people shot, 14 killed – just over Independence day weekend in a city with some of the most regressive gun laws in the country.

Jon July 8, 2016 (10:30 pm)

No sense arguing with an emotional person when it comes to matters of logic, friend.

MJ July 8, 2016 (8:29 pm)

To use another persons words, fewer guns, fewer deaths.

Jw July 9, 2016 (8:45 am)

@ex.

STANDARD issue does not have have full auto. Special forces can get whatever they want.

As to your questions.. That’s just silly now isn’t it.

Ex-Westwood Resident July 9, 2016 (8:49 pm)

Burst Fire is an Automatic Fire mode. Three rounds for one trigger pull.

My questions are as silly as your desire to want to get rid of guns, and are pertinent to find out just how far you are willing to go to get rid of guns.

See I believe in the 2nd Amendment, but I also believe in certain procedures to get those guns. I FULLY support Background Checks for ALL guns, even long guns and shotguns. I believe that a person MUST attend a basic firearms safety course before their CCL is activated. I believe that the HIPAA Laws MUST be changed to allow or inform Mental Health professionals to have an input if one of their patients is trying to get a gun; BTW THAT would have prevented the VA Tech shooting. I believe that there should be a three day “cooling off” period before the gun/rifle/shotgun can be released by the dealer. I believe that those who are forbidden by law to possess or own a gun receive a MANDATORY 5 year sentence, 10 years if they commit a crime with using a gun – NO REDUCTION/PLEA offered, this is ON TOP of the sentence for the crime. I believe that if a 10-18 year old commits a crime/is caught with a gun they MUST be tried as an adult.

But most off all I believe that we need to ENFORCE the gun laws we have now and get rid of those that DON’T WORK!

Tell me, how many people have been fined or arrested for violating ANY of the statutes contained in I-594 since it passed??? That is one of the most USELESS gun control measures that has ever been implemented in US history!!!

Al July 14, 2016 (4:11 am)

For heaven sake, it’s common sense. Need to move towards a system like the UK where by the police visit the home of any would be gun owner, after receiving application with witnesses. They check the person out and ensure they have appropriate lockable gun cabinet. A shotgun license can be granted first then a more intense firearms certificate can be granted. Firearms covers appropriate guns for hunting legal game in the country. Everything else is banned and cops carry taser’ not lethal weapons. These strict procedures were generally welcomed after a mass shooting of children in Dunblane, Scotland (of which tennis player Andy Murray survived). Now there are basically no handguns or semi-auto weapons in existence, if there are they are in major cities but due to there rarity they are EXTREMELY expensive to buy on the black market. Job done, the country now feels a relatively safe place to roam the streets at night. Even rural areas are a joy to roam around in compared to this country in the back of your mind thinking you could potentially be shot DEAD for trespassing and the murderer may even get away with it! Mad. Australian is another country who activated strict registration and licensing laws after a mass shooting

Al July 14, 2016 (4:14 am)

Australia enacted their gun control laws and went from 13 mass shooting in the previous 18 years to NONE SINCE! and as an added bonus, suicides have declined in a big way.

Sorry, comment time is over.