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A man facing accusations of killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child on her commute in Washington state has been acquitted due to insanity.
Cordell Goosby faced charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the tragic shooting of 34-year-old Eina Kwon and her unborn baby in June 2023, an attack that also left her husband, Evan Sung Kwon, wounded during an unprovoked incident in Seattle.
Kwon, who was eight months pregnant with her second child, suffered four gunshot wounds, including hits to her chest and head, while the family was stopped at a red light on their way to operate their Japanese eatery.
Authorities apprehended Goosby later, where he reportedly surrendered with his hands raised, confessing, “I did it! I did it!” according to court records sourced by Fox News.
On Saturday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office approved the ruling of not guilty by reason of insanity for Goosby, a decision his defense team had secured just a day prior.
The ruling means that while he admits carrying out the brutal attack, he will not be held criminally responsible because of his mental state at the time.
His defense pursued an insanity plea prior to trial, with both a defense expert and an independent expert hired by prosecutors concluding he was legally insane at the time of the shooting.
Goosby will be committed to the custody of the state Department of Social and Health Services for treatment at a psychiatric hospital, such as Western State Hospital, according to KOMO News.
Cordell Goosby (pictured), accused of fatally shooting a pregnant woman and her unborn baby on her way to work in Washington, was found not guilty by reason of insanity
Goosby allegedly shot 34-year-old Eina Kwon (left) and her unborn child to death in June 2023, leaving her husband, Evan Sung Kwon (right), injured in the random attack
Kwon and her husband were in her white Tesla, stopped at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Lenora Street on their way to work at their Japanese restaurant, Aburiya Bento House
Surveillance footage captured Goosby running toward the family’s car with a gun in hand (pictured)
‘This does not mean that Mr Goosby will be released to the streets now, a week from now, or in the immediate future,’ the office stressed in a statement.
He could be locked in a psychiatric hospital for life, with officials repeatedly reviewing whether he remains a threat.
Any attempt to loosen restrictions or set him free would have to clear multiple layers of scrutiny – prosecutors, a judge and a state safety panel.
Ultimately, the court now holds full control over whether Goosby will ever be granted unconditional release.
The ruling comes more than two years after Goosby gunned down the pregnant mother in a broad daylight attack described by then-Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell as an ‘unimaginable tragedy.’
On June 13, 2023, Kwon and her husband were in her white Tesla, stopped at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Lenora Street on their way to work at their restaurant, Aburiya Bento House.
Witnesses described Goosby randomly running toward the family’s car with a gun in hand before firing through the driver’s side window.
Carliss Todd, who works close by, told KIRO News at the time that he heard three or four gunshots and saw a man sprinting away with a large rifle.
Kwon, who was eight months pregnant with her second child, was shot four times – including in the chest and head (family pictured)
Goosby (pictured) will be committed to the custody of the state Department of Social and Health Services for treatment at a psychiatric hospital
Responding officers described Goosby as appearing to be in the midst of a crisis at the time of his arrest
A nearby worker told KIRO News at the time that he heard three or four gunshots and saw a man sprinting away with a large rifle (pictured)
‘An unknown gunshot rang out, and instinctively, the husband tightly embraced his wife. Despite feeling no pain due to the suddenness of the incident, he realized that the objects hitting his arm were bullets,’ friend Dong Won wrote in a GoFundMe.
‘Thinking he had successfully blocked all the randomly flying bullets, he turned to look at his wife and noticed that she had been shot and was in critical condition,’ he added. ‘He frantically tore his clothes to stem his wife’s bleeding.’
In the aftermath of the shooting, another bystander said they saw an injured man, believed to be Kwon’s husband, lying in the street.
In court papers, prosecutors wrote: ‘In a short span of time, he fired a gun in the victim’s car window, striking the victims inside the car,’ according to Fox.
‘After firing all the bullets he had in the gun into the victims’ car, he turned and ran from the scene,’ they added, noting that he also got rid of the weapon. ‘The defendant’s actions left a family and community shattered.’
Kwon was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where doctors performed an emergency cesarean section in a desperate bid to save her unborn child.
The restaurateur was pronounced dead shortly after giving birth and her baby died a short time later. Her husband, who was shot in the arm, was released from treatment soon after.
‘Sung was able to hold his beautiful daughter for a quick moment to say goodbye,’ Won said in the fundraiser.
Bodycam footage obtained by KING 5 News showed Goosby telling officers after the shooting that his life was ‘in danger’ (pictured)
At the police station, Goosby said: ‘I blacked out with everything, so it was kind of like a blur’ (pictured)
Pictured above is a memorial set up at the family’s restaurant
‘Doctors were able to remove the bullets from his arm, but fragments scattered inside could not be removed,’ he added. ‘Fortunately, the bones and nerves were not affected.’
Authorities quickly found Goosby, who allegedly claimed he fired at the couple’s Tesla because he thought they had a gun, though surveillance footage showed him running up to the window with his arm extended.
‘As he approached the vehicle, smoke could be seen coming from either the handgun he was firing or from the shattered glass window of the vehicle,’ Won wrote.
Because of his criminal record as a convicted felon in Illinois, Goosby was prohibited from owning a gun, and officials later claimed the weapon he used on the Kwons had been stolen.
He allegedly also admitted to officers that he had long struggled with mental health issues, with responding officers describing him as appearing to be in the midst of a crisis at the time of his arrest.
Bodycam footage obtained by KING 5 News showed Goosby approaching officers after the shooting, repeatedly telling them his life was ‘in danger.’
In footage captured at the police station, Goosby said: ‘I blacked out with everything, so it was kind of like a blur.’
Documents previously obtained by The Daily Mail revealed that he had been arrested in Illinois on multiple drug and weapons charges, as well as for theft.
In court papers, prosecutors wrote: ‘In a short span of time, he fired a gun in the victim’s car window’
Kwon (pictured with husband) was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where doctors performed an emergency cesarean section. Both she and her baby passed away
Goosby (pictured) was previously arrested in Illinois on multiple drug and weapons charges, as well as for theft
Goosby’s ruling means that he admits to carrying out the attack, but will not be held criminally responsible because of his mental state (pictured: Kwon and her husband)
During this week’s ruling, officials emphasized that some individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity in serious felony cases – including homicides from decades ago – remain confined in state hospitals, according to KOMO.
Prosecutors confirmed they would have gone to trial if their expert had ruled that Goosby was sane at the time he carried out the deadly attack.
They explained that under state law, a homicide charge cannot be applied to an unborn child unless the baby is born alive, and there was not enough evidence to pursue manslaughter since Goosby may not have known Kwon was pregnant.