King County has filed charges against Seattle Jewish Federation killer Naveed Afzal Haq: one count of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and more. King County Prosecutor and moderate Republican Norm Maleng has 30 days to decide whether he'll seek life imprisonment or the death penalty. If Maleng truly means what he's quoted as saying by KING-5 TV, it would have to be the latter. Maleng said, "...this is one of the more aggravated cases and heinous and tragic cases that we've had in our community." The initial report in The Seattle Times includes no such remarks, the writer(s) instead opting for a far more generic anti-hate crime comment by Maleng; and citing a top Jewish Federation official saying the organization has no official position on the death penalty. "Aggravated" and "heinous" are exactly right, Mr. Maleng; and so is the death penalty for Haq.

UPDATE: The Times story linked above has been freshened, and now includes these additional comments by Maleng.

"The attack on these women was an attack on the Jewish community, not only in Seattle, but throughout our nation and the world," Maleng said.

"The victims were killed and injured, not because of who they were as individuals, but because the defendant wanted to use them as symbols, to strike at members of the Jewish faith everywhere," Maleng said.

The P-I's story today quotes Maleng saying:

"In order to make his political statement, he left a wake of tears, serious wounds and death. This is one of the most serious hate crimes that has ever occurred in our community."