Jonathan Bishu GoFundMe raises more than $25,000 as police identify victims killed in Seattle mass shooting

On Sunday, August 20, a shooting in Seattle left three people dead and six others injured. Authorities identified the victims as Jonathan Bishu, 22, Nadia Kassa, 30, and Trevis Ballard, 32. The shooting, which reportedly occurred at Rainier Hookah Lounge in the Mount Baker neighborhood, currently remains under police investigation. No arrests have been made.

Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence, the reader's discretion is advised.

In the wake of the incident, the family of Jonathan Bishu started a GoFundMe initiative to assist with his funeral and memorial services. As of Wednesday, August 23, the fundraiser had collected $27,701 of its $50,000 goal.

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Circumstances that led to the death of Jonathan Bishu and two others explored

At 4:30 am on Sunday, August 20, gunmen reportedly entered the Rainier Hookah Lounge in South Seattle and allegedly shot at least nine people. 22-year-old Jonathan Bishu and 32-year-old Trevis Ballard were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting by first responders.

Seven other victims were transported to a local hospital. One of them, 30-year-old Nadia Kassa, was declared dead at the Harborview Medical Center after being brought in by authorities in critical condition.

Upon investigating the scene of the mass shooting, authorities recovered five guns, indicating that there may have been multiple suspects. Due to this discovery, officials suspect that the firing may have been related to gang violence. They are currently in the process of investigating whether any of the shooting victims were involved in the attack themselves.

Upon reviewing surveillance footage, investigators said that they saw a chaotic scene in which several hookah bar patrons were running for their lives. They said that since the shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday, it appeared as though the establishment was shutting down.

Due to the scale of the shooting, the community was left shocked. The family members of several victims have publicly spoken out about the shootings.

On the GoFundMe page, Jonathan Bishu's cousin, Yonathan Zerfu wrote on behalf of the former's family. He described Bishu as a family man who was known for his close ties with both friends and relatives.

Zerfu wrote:

"(A) brother, an uncle, and a friend, Jonathan was someone who was always known by his amazing spirit and a fierce loyalty for those around him."

Fedilla Kassa, the sister of Nadia Kassa, also discussed the deceased victim.

“She was like a force of nature. Anything she wanted to do, she would do, and she knew who she was and she was confident about it, there was nobody who could tell her otherwise," Fedilla Kassa said.

The Seattle mass shooting currently remains under police investigation. Officials have not discussed whether there may be any further threat to the public.