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Seattle residents demand emergency declaration over Aurora Ave. shootings
Neighbors are sending out a list of demands to the city after yet another shooting early Wednesday morning off Aurora Avenue.
SEATTLE - Neighbors are sending out a list of demands to the city after yet another shooting early Wednesday morning off Aurora Avenue.
What they're saying:
Neighbors say the city needs to focus on the north corridor, with several telling FOX 13 they heard the gunfire again last night on 102nd.
Some described hearing what sounded like another shootout with multiple guns used. Residents say it has become an all-too-common problem in the Greenwood Neighborhood due to what some neighbors call "turf wars" between groups involved in sex trafficking or other crimes.
Angela Gonzalez and her mom, Martha, were asleep when gunfire erupted near their home during one of the latest shootings, just after 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
"We heard four really strong gunshots," said Angela. "It was really loud and my whole family woke up."
Seattle Police said some witnesses reported hearing 9 to 15 shots fired early Wednesday at around 3:13 a.m. near the intersection of 102nd and Aurora, with 9 casings later located.
Timeline:
It marks the fifth shooting that FOX 13 has reported on in the same four to five-block area within the past couple of weeks. One of those shootings took place at a bus stop in early May and two happened on Saturday morning, May 16.
One of the shootings reported on May 16 sent a bullet into the siding near a baby's window near 98th and Linden.
Then, on Monday, May 18, a shootout was captured on camera by a local business near 97th and Aurora.
A group of neighbors met Wednesday near the location of the shooting that happened the morning of May 20th, frustrated and demanding that the city create a public emergency declaration for the stretch of Aurora Avenue between North 85th and 145th.
"It’s hard to go a week and not hear a shooting around here. It’s pretty scary," said Kate, a neighbor who attended the meeting.
"Frankly, we’re sick of it," said David Patton, a neighbor who was also at that meeting.
David Patton emailed a list of demands to city leaders, including council members Debora Juarez, Bob Kettle and Mayor Katie Wilson.
"Do something about this. Clean this up. There are babies at risk of being killed, family members," said Patton.
The email also demands that the city send out a police enforcement surge, restore technology, such as automated license plate reader systems and create a corridor-specific violent crime task force, focused on crimes like human trafficking and shootings.
"At the very least, police presence. That seems like the easiest thing," said Maddy, a neighbor who attended the meeting.
Some are also calling for speed bumps and street closures in areas where shootings have increased over the past couple of weeks.
I feel that the city could do a better job maybe," said Angela.
"Anything would be a good start," said Maddy.
We reached out to the mayor's office tonight as well as council members Bob Kettle and Debora Juarez, District 5 (North Seattle), about the list of demands that was sent in that email and are waiting to hear back.
During previous coverage on the issue, FOX 13 sent a request for comment to Mayor Katie Wilson's office to see if the city might increase patrols or do something else to curtail violence and received this response by email:
"You’ll need to contact SPD for questions about their staffing levels. Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration continues to work with SPD to hire additional officers and provide community-based solutions to address gun violence." Jonah Spangenthal-Lee.
Meantime, some members of the group said they are considering a lawsuit against the city.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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