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Seattle police looking for gunman who shot driver at stop light
Seattle police looking for gunman who shot driver at stop light
SEATTLE -- Bullets slammed into a man’s car while he was sitting at a stop light at a busy Seattle intersection, striking him twice. Seattle police are looking for whoever pulled the trigger and trying to figure out why.
Neighbor Rene Saludares began capturing video on his phone when he realized what looked like a car accident at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Cloverdale Street was something more.
“He was shot; I knew he was badly injured,” said Saludares, who could see the scene from his front yard.
Neighbors thought they heard two firecrackers at about 7 p.m. Monday, but Seattle police believe they were sounds of someone shooting a man, who was just waiting at a stop light.
“We’re not really sure where they came from yet,” Seattle police detective Patrick Michaud said of the bullets. “They went through the car door, one entered his hip and one across his face.”
Police don't believe this was a gang-related incident. They also don't know if this 35-year old man was the intended target or a victim of a random act of violence.
“We’re really relying on the community’s help on this case because we don’t have a good suspect description right now,” said Michaud. “We’re asking people to call us if they heard anything, if they saw anything, give us a call and let us know what you heard or saw so we can get to the bottom of this.”
With so few answers, neighbors like Saludares said they can’t help but feel afraid.
“My wife is so scared, my neighbor-- they’re all scared,” said Saludares.
As for the man in the hospital, he is listed in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center. Anyone who may have seen something in the area around 7 p.m. Monday is urged to call Seattle Police at (206) 233-5000.