Tom Pfaeffle, engineer for Kay Kay fatally shot

[Guest Admin]

Tom Pfaeffle, a well respected engineer, professor at the Seattle Institute of Art, Father, Friend, and Husband was shot to death on the night of Friday, July 17th. While on a camping vacation with his family in Eastern Washington, Tom was trying to enter what he believed was his hotel room and unknowingly began to jostle the door handle when he was suddenly shot twice through the hotel door. Tom fought valiantly for his life with his wife Val for two more hours until the EMS arrived.

Finding out this news from an old Suburban Home employee, Hannah Dowd who also happened to be one of Tom's students, left me speechless. I am on the brink of tears imagining two daughters without a father because of such a reckless situation. Tom will not soon be forgotten as he has done so much for Seattle music. He helped finance Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground's live at Pretty Parlor DVD, mixed and mastered Kay Kay's brilliant self-titled album, and my wife and I had the great opportunity of hanging out with Tom when we flew out to Seattle for Kay Kay's album release show. Tom was a master of his craft. He was a teacher to those around him. He inspired so many people to play and record music. I still can't believe something so terrible could happen to someone who gave so much.

In addition to his work with Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Tom Pfaeffle worked with acts from all walks of life from Nirvana to Wild Orchid Children to Lizzie Huffman to The Black Crowes to Gatsbys American Dream and so many others. Tom, you will be missed my friend.

The day after the horrific incident, Kay Kay were scheduled to perform live on KEXP and they pulled off a 4 song performance dedicated to Tom Pfaeffle. You can listen to the live recording by going to KEXP's stream archive http://kexp.org/streamarchive/streamarchive.asp and entering the date (Sat. Jul. 18, 2009) and the time (6pm) of the performance. You will be given a few choices of the type of stream you want to select and you will begin hearing the radio show with Kay Kay's in session performance.

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground also had a really nice dedication to Tom on their Myspace blog http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=122905195&blogId=501083069 . You can find it here. There will be a few benefit shows in Tom's honor. When we get the details, we will let you all know. This is such a terrible situation.

[hickey]

Yikes...that's terrible. My prayers go out to everyone involved in this tragedy.

[xjustinxschwierx]

who the fuck shoots through a hotel room door?

This is insane and tragic and I hope the fucker that did this doesn't get off with involuntary manslaughter and get a slap on the wrist.

[dante3000]

Wow...It's really horrid that something as simple as mistaking your hotel room can get your shot.

[casey]

Holy christ that is fucked up. I googled news results and all I could find for the shooter's identity was "57 year-old man" whom the police have declined to identify. This whole thing reminds me of the scene in Salton Sea when the dude shoots through the hotel door because he's all strung out on crank.

[mattstrike]

Fuck. Really, who, besides a maniac on the run from a drug cartel, shoots through a door?!

Like Justin said, I hope this idiot doesn't get off easy and that Tom's family sees some justice.

My thoughts are with them.

[fresnoska]

I read the Seattle Times article, and the shooter will be charged with second degree murder

[planetrakis]

2nd hand crack kills. Prayers to Tom and his family.

[thomas]

Wow, that is really awful. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

[mattisr1984]

that is so sad. RIP.

[riddle350]

This is a bummer. I had this guy for a mic class at the Art Institute. Tough teacher but smart as hell.

[circlingvultures]

This is just awful. I feel terrible for his family and loved ones.

[jawbroken]

this is awful. condolences to all who knew him

[casey]

I read the Seattle Times article, and the shooter will be charged with second degree murder

According to the article, he probably would have lived if it hadn't taken the ambulance two hours to get there.

[thomas]

I read the Seattle Times article, and the shooter will be charged with second degree murder

According to the article, he probably would have lived if it hadn't taken the ambulance two hours to get there.

Damn, 2 hours, that is crazy.

[Guest]

Terrrible. What provokes someone to shoot through a door without knowing who is on the other side? I hope that guy rots in jail for such a heinous crime on an innocent person.

[mariawithoneeye]

According to the article, he probably would have lived if it hadn't taken the ambulance two hours to get there.

Damn, 2 hours, that is crazy.

why did it take 2 hours? that's ridiculous! What a tragedy. My thoughts go out to his family

[fresnoska]

There are conflcting stories regarding how long it took, just scroll down through some of the comments...I hope it truly wasn't two hours, cause that seems ridiculous considering there was an event in town, with plenty of EMT on hand

[riddle350]

From what I read he died at the hospital two hours after he was shot.

[casey]

The Seattle Times article said it took the ambulance almost two hours get to the scene because it was in such a remote location.

[controlthebleeding]

this sux.. my condolences go out to his family and anyone he knew. it's a shame someone has to go out like this.

[adamlikesmusic]

Sounds like a bit of mistaken identity.