Man pleads not guilty to murder of security guard at Seattle hookah lounge
SEATTLE WA April 22, 2025 — The man accused of murdering a security guard and another person during a shooting at a Seattle hookah lounge has pleaded not guilty.
Leontai Berry, 25, appeared in court Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors allege that Berry shot Ozie Whitfield and security guard Julius Rodriguez to death outside the Capri Hookah Lounge on March 30.
According to court documents, surveillance video reportedly shows the Berry shooting Whitfield four times as he was being frisked by security to enter the club and shooting security guard Rodriguez at least five times as Rodriguez tried to chase after him. Police said Berry later showed up at a Renton hospital with injuries believed to be from the shooting, and officers made the arrest.
Berry was already on probation for federal gun charges at the time of the shooting, making it illegal for him to have a gun. He previously worked as a case manager for a youth incarceration diversion program, Community Passageways, and was a stipend worker for a new program called “100 Days of Peace.”
Prosecutors have described Berry as a high risk to re-offend. After the hearing, the judge kept Berry’s bail at five million dollars.
