SEATTLE, WA – A 17-year-old male from Burien, Washington, identified as Miguel Rivera Dominguez, turned himself into authorities on Monday after being implicated in a brutal killing on a Seattle bus last month. The incident, which police characterized as a “senseless execution,” proved shocking due to its apparent randomness.
The victim, 21-year-old Marcel Wagner, was shot dead while seemingly sleeping on a King County Metro bus in White Center, just south of Seattle. Rivera Dominguez, wearing a ski mask, reportedly rode the bus for about 15 minutes before pulling a cord to signal a stop and then firing multiple shots at Wagner.
According to deputy prosecutor Lauren Burke, Rivera Dominguez attacked Wagner “without any provocation,” having had no interaction with him. The attack involved five rounds shot at point-blank range into Wagner’s head and neck area – all without Rivera Dominguez uttering a word, Burke added.
Post-shooting, the suspect can be seen in bus surveillance footage firing two shots through the rear bus doors before fleeing the scene with an accomplice. Authorities used surveillance footage and traced them to a neighborhood in Burien.
Rivera Dominguez, who is expected to be tried as an adult, faces charges of first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful firearm possession. Despite the severe charges, he does not have any prior criminal record.