Former NBA Star Shawn Kemp Faces Jail Time Over Mall Shooting

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp is facing jail time after being involved in a mall shooting outside the Tacoma Mall in Washington.

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reported Kemp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in the incident.

The former Seattle Super Sonics star initially faced charges of first-degree assault with a firearm and a second count of first-degree assault, and a charge of drive-by shooting.

The shooting outside the mall occurred when Kemp reportedly claimed his iPhone was stolen.

When he tracked down the location of his phone, it was outside the Tacoma mall.

When he allegedly approached the person who took his phone, the man fired a gun at Kemp, resulting in Kemp firing back.

Seattle legend and ex-Sonics star Shawn Kemp pleads guilty to assault for 2023 Tacoma Mall shooting 💥 pic.twitter.com/Jl5xZXhPOS

— SEATTLESUBMISSIONS (@SEATTLESUBMISS) May 27, 2025

Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp pleads guilty in 2023 parking lot shooting https://t.co/nAvNEiEa6c pic.twitter.com/aYNvL8Zcqg

— New York Post (@nypost) May 27, 2025

Here’s what Fox News reported:

Shawn Kemp, who spent the majority of his NBA career with the Seattle SuperSonics, entered a guilty plea in the 2023 shooting outside the Tacoma Mall in Washington state.

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirmed that Kemp admitted to second-degree assault in the incident. The six-time NBA All-Star initially faced charges for first-degree assault with a firearm. Prosecutors later tacked on a second count of first-degree assault and a charge of drive-by shooting.

If he had been convicted on the original charges, the 55-year-old could have been up against a considerably longer prison sentence. Tacoma police received a call stating shots were fired from a passerby’s vehicle in the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall, FOX 13 reported in March 2023.

The former NBA center reportedly claimed property was stolen from his car and he tracked his iPhone to the Tacoma Mall.

A source close to Kemp said when the retired NBA player approached the vehicle, a suspect shot at him, and he fired back in self-defense. Police said nobody was injured in the shooting.

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Basketball Player Shawn Kemp Has Been Arrested For Allegedly Being Involved in A Drive-By Shooting pic.twitter.com/olEA73yrbM

— Raphousetv (RHTV) (@raphousetv2) March 9, 2023

Per AP:

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to an assault charge on Tuesday for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.

Kemp, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma as part of a plea agreement, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt.

Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge, The Seattle Times reported. Convictions on those charges could have resulted in a lengthy prison term.

He will be sentenced in August. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended that Kemp be sentenced to nine months in jail, one year of Department of Corrections supervision and support after he is released, and to pay restitution.

Kemp, a six-time NBA all-star who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, declined to comment to the newspaper on Tuesday.

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