“I was terrified. I was scared. I’m just glad that I’m alive,” said Mariah Cusack, recounting the moments she hid behind lockers during a drive-by shooting at Kittens Cabaret in South Seattle early Sunday morning.
The violent incident at Kittens Cabaret left a 36-year-old man working as a security guard dead and injured Cusack, who was working as a dancer at the venue to support her daughter. Seattle police responded to the scene after gunfire erupted at the establishment, triggering an ongoing homicide investigation and a search for those responsible.
As detectives work to piece together the events of the weekend, the surviving victim and her family are speaking out about the terrifying ordeal, the urgent medical aftermath, and the impact the shooting has left on their lives.
Surviving the Barrage at Kittens Cabaret
Cusack had been working as a dancer at the club for just a few days, balancing the role with other employment, including house cleaning, to make ends meet and support her daughter. That routine shattered when bullets began tearing through the building.
“Three or four other bullets went through the mirror and through the concrete wall, and so, I dragged myself across the floor and hid between some lockers,” Cusack said.
Trapped as the gunfire struck the club, the working mother described the immediate panic of the attack. “I was thinking about my daughter at home and how I just want to be alive to come home to her. I was thinking about the last moments I had with her,” she said.
Emergency Surgery and Harborview Medical Center Recovery
Following the shooting, emergency medics rushed Cusack to Harborview Medical Center for emergency treatment after a bullet struck her leg. Surgeons subsequently operated on her to remove the projectile.
“I had to have surgery on my leg. It’s my entire leg,” Cusack said, detailing the physical toll of the injury. “They had to take the bullet out because it was really in there.”
To help cover expenses during her long recovery off her feet, friends and family organized a GoFundMe campaign. Reflecting on the unidentified shooter, Cusack offered a blunt assessment: “It’s not OK. You have no heart. It’s just monster behavior.” She also confirmed she will not return to work at Kittens Cabaret.
Police Investigation and Search for the Getaway Vehicle
Authorities have not released suspect information or established an official motive for the attack. However, investigators later recovered a burned getaway vehicle nearby.
While Homicide and Crime Scene Investigation detectives continue their probe into the shooting, family members have shared their own theories regarding the violence. Cara Cusack, the victim’s mother, told reporters after learning of the incident, “My mind immediately goes to that had to be a disgruntled patron of some sort.”
FOX 13 News reached out to Kittens Cabaret for comment following the incident, but we have not heard back.
What Lies Ahead in the South Seattle Homicide Probe
As investigators analyze evidence from the crime scene and examine the burned vehicle recovered nearby, police continue to investigate the shooting. Investigators have not publicly identified a suspect or established an official motive for the attack.
