Seattle City Leaders Promise Action After Downtown Violence
SEATTLE, WA — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan outlined plans Thursday to curb gang violence after a deadly shooting Wednesday rattled the downtown core in the middle of rush hour.
“Gun violence anywhere is unacceptable,” Durkan said during an afternoon press conference including several city leaders. “It is especially jarring when it occurs in the heart of our city, where tens of thousands of people work, shop and live, and happens in one of the most busy intersections at the most busy time of day.”
Durkan cited estimates that more than 50,000 people board buses along 3rd Avenue every day, making the corridor one of the most highly trafficked areas during peak commute hours.
“Most of us in this city have walked that block about that time of day — I have done it hundreds of times in my life,” Durkan said. “Absolutely no one in our city or our country should step out of a coffee shop or get on a bus with fear of violence.”
Officials said an argument between three men outside a McDonald’s on 3rd Avenue and Pine Street erupted into gunfire at 5 p.m., sending people running for cover and leading to the death of a 50-year-old woman. Seven other people were struck by bullets and taken to Harborview Medical Center, including a 9-year-old boy who underwent surgery.
Police said at least 20 shell casings were recovered from the scene, with calibers connected to three different weapons. Shooting victims were found across 1.5 city blocks.
“We saw one of the most horrific chapters last night in the city of Seattle,” Durkan said during Thursday’s press conference. “We will not allow this to be the new normal.”
Wednesday’s shooting was the third in the area in just two days.
ONE SUSPECT ARRESTED, TWO AT-LARGE
Gang unit detectives said they were able to identify one of the three suspected shooters on surveillance video Wednesday night. The 21-year-old man was found at Harborview Medical Center with a gunshot wound and later booked into the King County Jail on a suspected firearms violation.
Investigators released photos and names or two other men suspected in the shooting who were still at large Thursday. Police said both suspects had gang connections, extensive criminal histories, and should be considered armed and dangerous.
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GANG VIOLENCE & DOWNTOWN CRIME
“We have seen an uptick in gang violence in this region,” Durkan said. “Unfortunately, this violence has crossed city borders and involves multiple cities in King County. We are going to use every tool to address this problem.”
While police statistics show most categories of crime were down on a citywide average last year, violent incidents and robberies continue to be a cause for concern downtown.
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said Wednesday’s violence accelerated city plans to expand efforts to address persistent issues in the area. Part of that plan includes adding more detectives to the city’s gang unit and rotating officers from other areas into downtown. Emphasis patrols will continue along the Pike/Pine corridor, and two mobile precincts have been established near the King County Courthouse and Westlake Center.
City leaders cited police operations that were already underway in the area as a major factor that allowed more than 100 officers to begin arriving on the scene within seconds Wednesday night.
“Every resident and every business in our city expects Chief Best, our criminal justice system, and me, their mayor, to be accountable to keep people safe,” Durkan said. “That is our job.”
ILLEGAL GUNS
Another part of the solution, Durkan says, is stopping the flow of illegal firearms in Seattle, King County and throughout the state.
“We know that the guns in this incident were not supposed to be in the hands of the people who had them,” Durkan said. “We must join our resources together to meet this challenge. We have to do it urgently because, literally, people’s lives are at stake.”
Durkan said SPD operations took more than 1,100 illegal guns off the street in 2019.
BUSINESS CONCERNS
The Associated Press reports the Downtown Seattle Association, a business group with hundreds of members, released a statement demanding more be done to address concerns that have lingered in the area for years.
“We call on public officials to devote the resources necessary to improve safety in downtown,” the group said. “Enough is enough.”
Among the eight shooting victims, two people injured were Amazon employees who work in the BlueShift building at 300 Pine St. The company said it would increase security in and around the building and begin security escorts between company properties and public transportation.
The mayor said city leaders will continue to work with business groups and meet with them to develop solutions in the days ahead.
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