Shawn Kemp Sentenced: Home Monitoring for Shopping Mall Shooting

Shawn Kemp Sentenced to Home Monitoring for Shooting

TACOMA, Wash. – Former NBA star Shawn Kemp has been sentenced to 30 days of home electronic monitoring following an incident in which he fired shots at two men inside a vehicle in the parking lot of a shopping center in Washington state. Kemp must begin his home monitoring within the next two weeks, in addition to complying with a year of supervision by the state Department of Corrections and completing 240 hours of community service. Prosecutors had recommended a nine-month jail sentence, a year of supervision, and the payment of restitution. However, Judge Michael Schwartz of Pierce County Superior Court found that the circumstances of the crime warranted a lesser sentence, allowing Kemp to avoid incarceration. During the reading of the sentence, Kemp reacted by looking at the ceiling and exhaling air, followed by repeated signs of the cross. In May, Kemp, who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, pleaded guilty to one count of assault as part of a deal. The shooting incident occurred in March 2023, with no one injured. Kemp argued that he acted in self-defense, responding to shots fired by one of the men from inside his Toyota 4Runner vehicle. The defense also alleged that the two men provoked the shooting by stealing Kemp’s truck, his cell phone, and valuables in Seattle. The judge agreed with this version. According to court documents, Kemp used a phone tracking application to locate and try to speak with the driver of the 4Runner, who was driving through a casino parking lot. The men in the vehicle then threw out some of Kemp’s belongings, but kept the phone. Later, Kemp located his phone near the Tacoma Mall. He drove there, identified the same 4Runner, and, according to the report, “expressed his understandable frustration” to the driver. It was then that the man in the back seat “fired a shot at Mr. Kemp. Kemp returned fire and attempted to disable the Toyota, but it didn’t work,” according to the document. The 4Runner fled the scene, and although the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside, but no weapon was found, according to court documents. After the hearing, Kemp stated that “the last three years have been hard.” He added that he plans to become an advocate against gun violence, especially among young people.

Think twice. Think twice when you get angry. Think twice when you feel a little upset.

Shawn Kemp

Several people sent letters of support to the court on Kemp’s behalf. Approximately 30 people attended the hearing, including his pastor and former NFL player Marshawn Lynch. Kemp debuted in the NBA in the 1989-90 season, at the age of 20, without having played college basketball. He also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Orlando Magic, and was known for his spectacular dunks.