Police: Man charged in deadly North Seattle crime spree says he can't recall shootings

SEATTLE -- A man who authorities say opened fire on vehicles before stealing a car and crashing in North Seattle earlier this week is now facing murder and attempted murder charges.

Tad-Michael Norman, 33, is accused of fatally shooting 76-year-old Robert Michael Hassan before stealing his car and crashing into another vehicle.

That crash in the 11700 block of Sand Point Way resulted in the death of another man, 76-year-old Richard Thurber Lee.

Before that fatal shooting and crash, officials say Norman also shot a second grade teacher and a Metro bus driver. They were hospitalized and are recovering.

According to a probable cause document from Seattle Police, filed in support of the charges, another person later reported that their vehicle was struck by gunfire during the crime spree. They were not injured.

Norman was arrested after a brief standoff with police following the fatal crash. He was initially hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries but has since been released into police custody.

According to the probable cause statement, Norman told investigators that he had been in an alcoholic blackout and didn't remember the shootings.

He described himself as a "recovering alcoholic" and said he went to a store and purchased vodka, rum and wine, according to probable cause documents. He began drinking around 12:30 p.m. and played video games but told police, "He had no memory after that until he regained some memory function when he was in the hospital," documents show.

Norman is facing charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office. A court appearance that was scheduled for Friday afternoon has been delayed after officials filed the charges, the prosecutor's office said via email.

A new court date was not yet available.

The Associated Press contributed to this report