Shawn Kemp charged in wake of shooting at Tacoma Mall parking lot

The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office has charged former Seattle Sonics star Shawn Kemp with first-degree assault.

The charge stems from a shooting at Tacoma Mall last month. Kemp is scheduled to be arraigned on May 4.

RELATED: Former NBA superstar Shawn Kemp is arrested over a shooting in a parking lot

According to Pierce County Superior Court documents filed on April 14, police were called to reports of a shooting in a Tacoma Mall parking lot, near the JCPenney and Firestone, in the early morning hours of March 8, 2023. No one was hurt in the incident.

Witnesses told officers that a gun was thrown into nearby bushes following the gunshots. Officers found a .357 revolver where witnesses indicated. Court documents also state that the incident was captured on cell phone video as well as security camera footage from neighboring businesses.

The video evidence is described in court documents, which further detail allegations against Kemp. It states that a Porsche is seen on video arriving at the parking lot with four other vehicles, including a 4Runner, around 1:51 a.m. Within the span of 10 minutes, multiple confrontations happen between the driver of the Porsche and the 4Runner. The Porsche driver reportedly fired multiple shots at the SUV. At one point, it appeared a shot was fired directly at the 4Runner driver, as the driver ducked to avoid being hit. Court documents allege that Kemp is the driver of the Porsche who was firing the handgun.

Court documents also detail an interview a detective had with Kemp, following the shooting. In that interview, Kemp reportedly told police that his car was prowled earlier that evening, while he was at an event in downtown Seattle. He reportedly said that a cell phone was stolen during that incident and he was able to track it to a location in Fife. He confronted people in an SUV in Fife who quickly left. Then, he tracked the phone to the Tacoma Mall parking lot where the shooting happened. Kemp reportedly claimed he was shot at first. Police argue that this is not seen on security camera video.

Court documents also state that text messages obtained from Kemp's phone are also being used as evidence in the case.

Kemp is a six-time NBA All-Star and is involved in a local cannabis business.