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Police investigating pair of deadly South Seattle shootings
Seattle police are investigating two separate deadly shootings that happened early Sunday morning in South Seattle. Two men were killed in shootings that happened about a five-minute drive from each other. Detectives are working to determine if the cases are connected.
SEATTLE - Seattle Police Department's recently-hired Chief Shon Barnes has released a statement following a string of shootings in the Seattle area heading into and over the weekend.
The backstory:
First, a parishioner was gunned down in front of a church in Seattle's U District neighborhood on Thursday evening. There is now a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect who killed LeBron Givan.
Then, there was a shooting in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 3. That left one man dead and sent a minor to the hospital with gunshot wounds. The juvenile is expected to survive.
Later in the morning on Sunday, Chief Barnes confirmed there was a third, unconnected, shooting incident. Officers reportedly found a man dead in a parking lot in South Seattle. Initial reports point to a theory that the shooting was potentially linked to a car crash or some other road rage incident.
What they're saying:
"Over the past four days, the Seattle community tragically experienced three separate incidents of gun violence, resulting in the loss of lives," Chief Barnes begins his statement with, before offering more details about plans to combat gun violence in the city.
"The Seattle Police Department continuously analyzes and screens all incidents of violence in our city, refining our strategies to enhance safety and prevent future occurrences. Our department holds meetings twice a week to discuss violent crime trends and to determine resource allocations based on data-driven approaches and assessed needs," Chief Barnes continued.
He reassured the public that the department's officers, detectives, and crime scene investigators are, "actively engaged in all three investigations, pursuing leads with utmost diligence…We want to reassure the community that we are committed to preventing further incidents of gun violence. Achieving this goal requires collaboration between the criminal justice system and the community. We encourage everyone to report any indicators of potential violence they may observe, as early intervention is crucial for prevention."
The full statement can be read here.
What you can do:
Anoyone with information about any of these shootings is asked to contact the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department's official blog.
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