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Community rally held after shooting near Seattle daycare
The co-owners of the daycare spearheaded the meeting after a gunman sent a bullet through their window during a drive by shooting that injured a 47-year-old man Monday.
SEATTLE - Community members in Seattle's Central District are still in shock after a shooting near a daycare this week. They held a press conference demanding a better strategy for public safety.
The co-owners of the daycare spearheaded the meeting after a gunman sent a bullet through their window during a drive-by shooting that injured a 47-year-old man Monday. The children were forced to army-crawl to the safety of a bathroom during that shooting. Thursday they were back in class once again after the daycare was closed for cleanup and repairs.
"They ran on in and ready to go and ready to learn and eager," said Deborah Coleman, Co-owner of A 4 Apple Learning Center.
>> Parents meet with police, Seattle daycare owners where shooting sent kids crawling to safety
"Can we get the support to make our families feel comfortable leaving their children at our places?," asked Appollonia Washington, Co-owner of A 4 Apple Learning Center.
Residents said that they'd been asking the city to clean up 23rd Ave S and Jackson Street for years.
"I ask our city council, what about the children ?," said Dawn Mason, a former state representative, serving the 37th Legislative District which included Central and Southeast Seattle.
Parent Representative Alex Cooley says he sounded the alarm after a shooting in 2022.
"Here we are a year and half later, we have a bullet through the window of our daycare, we need action," said Cooley.
The group is now calling on the county to relocate a nearby bus stop and will ask the owner of the nearby parking area to install a gate.
Shooting outside Seattle daycare leaves man seriously injured, children scrambling for safety
Children were told to get down and crawl to safety after a shooting outside a daycare in Seattle’s Central District on Monday.
"To break this pattern of people coming to set up in an open drug market," said Cooley.
Police Chief Adrian Diaz has also pledged extra patrols and moved a mobile precinct to the area.
"It makes us feel safe," said Coleman.
A group of daycare owners stood in solidarity with Washington.
"How terrible that you have to teach children to army crawl," said Angelia Hicks-Maxie, Tiny Tots Development Center.
They are calling on the city to help find funding to install bullet-proof glass in daycare citywide.
"The life of a child is precious, so I think the city needs to invest in all the urban buildings," said Hicks-Maxie.
"I’m praying that the city takes accountability and gives all of our childcare's bullet-proof windows," said Washington.
The police chief has also told local business that community officers will be checking in to see if there is anything that they need.
Cooley is also calling on the city to speed up the process of allowing another business to move into a vacant building in the area.
He says a Starbucks moved out two years ago, and it's taken too long to get another business in that has expressed interest in the space.