Deadly shooting of two Seattle teens renews calls for school resource officers
Community forms ‘safe passage’ for Rainier Beach students after deadly shooting
Community leaders and parents gathered to create a “safe passage” for Rainier Beach High School students after a shooting killed two teens, as renewed calls grow for the return of school resource officers.
SEATTLE - Community leaders gathered at the intersection of Rainier Ave and Henderson to create a "safe passage" for Rainier Beach High School students following a shooting that left two teens dead Friday afternoon at a bus stop near the school.
The bus stop has been temporarily closed as it has become the center of a growing memorial. Flowers, candles and chalk messages lined the sidewalk as students honored the two victims, according to district officials. Both were Seattle Public Schools students.
Some students remained at the memorial for more than an hour, struggling to cope with the loss.
The backstory:
Police say the two teens were shot and killed in broad daylight Friday afternoon. Schools in the area were on a delayed schedule Monday as additional counselors were brought in to support students and staff.
Seattle Public Schools’ newly sworn-in superintendent, Ben Shuldiner, addressed the tragedy on his first day on the job.
"Last night I drove around the neighborhood of where the shooting happened, parked the car and walked around in the rain. I could only think about the tragedy that felt our community but even within that tragedy there’s hope," Shuldiner said.
For many students, the shooting has heightened fears about daily routines, including commuting to and from school.
What they're saying:
Fifteen-year-old freshman Aiden Krebs, who transferred from Texas in October, said the loss has been difficult to process.
"I feel kind of sad because two seniors that were about to graduate and go off to college got shot and killed, and I'm just like, ‘Two people shouldn't have their life taken away from them like that,’" Krebs said.
Krebs said he usually rides the bus, but now feels less secure.
"I don't feel as comfortable as I did before this now. Like me taking the bus here, I was a lot more observant," Krebs said.
Parents react to deadly shooting of Seattle teens
The other side:
In response, parents and community leaders showed up early Monday to help escort students and families through the area.
"The idea is to show solidarity in this effort to really change the narrative around safety, you know, and community, you know, and community and what that really looks like and feels like," said Ty Griffin of Africatown Community Land Trust.
The tragedy has renewed long-standing concerns raised by Rainier Beach students about safety and the absence of school resource officers, or SROs.
In 2023, students gathered at a forum to voice fears about violence in and around the school.
"When I go to lunch and stuff like, I always like, I feel like I shouldn't have to pray that I'm going to come back to school because of all the stuff that happens outside of school, Rainier Beach," said Josai Isabell, a freshman at the time.
Another student, Mario Clark a then senior, described receiving a warning about a potential shooting that never materialized.
"My teammates had sent this screenshot of a text message from one of the teachers that way here, and it said like around 11:30–11:45 there was going be a shooting at lunch with AK-47 to listen to the gun and everything. So just with that, I already feel unsafe," Clark said back then.
Seattle police were not present at that forum. A week later, during another town hall attended by then-Police Chief Adrian Diaz, students again called for more police presence.
"Outreach to the community. Have an officer, you know, be here, be around here, and actually talking to people, not just sitting in their car, no, but actually getting to know students," Nijawn Sterling a Rainier Beach student at the time said.
Local perspective:
On Monday, Seattle police officers stood alongside community members at the memorial. During his Year in Review press conference, Police Chief Shon Barnes said the city is facing an increase in teen violence.
When asked if it's directly tied to gang activity, he said, "Yeah, we have group violence here in Seattle, whether they are organized gangs or they give money to a hierarchy. I don't know, but we do have organized group violence here, and it is a problem."
Community leaders said the pain of the tragedy is compounded by the belief that students’ concerns have gone unheard.
"The message we're giving our kids is their lives don't matter because we're not giving them what they want," Victoria Beach said. "I've been to multiple meetings with two students, students of color, that have said they want to feel safe. They want to be safe. They want police back in the schools. Why aren't we doing that?"
Freshman Krebs supports having SROs at school, saying, "Having officers around would help with the violence and all that, and it would definitely ensure that this kind of event is less likely to happen."
Over the years, there have been concerns about racial profiling or negative impacts towards the BIPOC communities. Chief Barnes said his position on SROs remains unchanged.
"My position on SROs is unchanged," Barnes said. "I was an SRO, I supervised SRO as a captain and I navigated or negotiated a school shooting. I was a school teacher. I understand that PD officers are resources, they’re there to make sure no one is traumatized. I support that, and I hope that we can reach some type of compromise with our community because, quite frankly, our kids' lives are at stake."
The mayor’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding its stance on SROs.
Some students and parents have expressed fear about returning to school.
Anyone with information about Friday’s shooting is urged to contact police. Tips can be submitted anonymously.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Alejandra Guzman.