2 bodies found near I-5 with gunshot wounds, WSP investigating

2 teens found dead with gunshot wounds in the same area of Seattle.

The two 16-year-old boys were found hours apart, but in the same area. Right now, investigators aren't connecting the instances but an investigation is still underway.

SEATTLE - The Washington State Patrol is investigating after the bodies of two teens, both 16, were found within a mile of one another along a busy stretch of I-5 in Seattle. Authorities say they had both been shot.

Investigators say one teen was found dead Thursday night, at around 10:39 p.m. in the northbound lane of I-5, north of NE 85th.

"Last night at about 10:39 p.m., we received a call of what the person believed was a car/pedestrian. They advised us an individual was lying in lane one of NB I-5 N. of NE 85th," said Trooper Rick Johnson, a spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol in King County.

The other teen was found dead of gunshot wounds on Friday morning around 8:00 am near the NE 85TH ramp to northbound I-5, less than a quarter of a mile away from the first teen that was found.

"There is nothing that we have to this point that ties these two homicides together. Obviously, that could change, but right now, we don’t have any corroboration on that," said Johnson.

"The younger it is, the more heartbreaking it is for sure," said Jake Rower, a neighbor who lives near the stretch of I-5 where the bodies were found. "This is the most extreme thing I’ve heard happening around here anyway."

He says a large wall and trees block the view of that area of I-5.

"There are really high concrete retaining walls and there is a lot of greenery. You basically have to be on the ramp to see what’s going on," said Rower.

It’s unclear if the teens were shot and killed near the highway or if they were killed somewhere else and dumped or left there.

Detectives have been combing through the surrounding neighborhoods where Rower lives, asking residents if they may have seen or heard something to provide some clues. Investigators are also asking drivers to provide dash cam video or to come forward with any information if they spotted something unusual in the area, such as a car on the side of the road, Thursday night into Friday morning.

"We need help to move this forward," said Johnson. "I just think someone saw something and knows something, so that’s what we are looking for."

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