Seattle police search for gunman after man shot in broad daylight in Rainier Valley
SEATTLE - Seattle Police are searching for a gunman following a shooting Thursday in the middle of the afternoon in Rainier Valley that left a man seriously injured.
Investigators say the shooting happened between Wabash Ave South and South Rose Street with the first 911 calls coming in just after 2 p.m.
What they're saying:
Neighbors said they heard 2–3 shots, followed by yelling and screaming.
"Just before 2 p.m., I heard a couple of loud shots," said a neighbor who asked that we not use her name for privacy reasons. She was home when the shooting happened.
"I came up to my window I saw someone kind of running and acting suspicious, like tucking into their jacket," said the neighbor.
Investigation and suspect details
When officers arrived, they found one person had been shot in the torso. Neighbors heard him yelling after being struck.
"After that, I could hear screaming down the street, yelling, someone saying ‘I’ve been shot’. So, I ran back to my phone and called the cops," said the woman.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.
"By the time that call was finished, there were at least 4 units on the scene, cops immediately kind of blocked off the area, started talking to people, there were at least two EMTs with med bags there," said the neighbor.
Police say victim and suspect knew each other
Following the initial investigation, SPD found out that the suspect and victim knew each other and an altercation took place beforehand. The suspect fired at least twice, and hit the victim in the torso.
"Other incidents around here have happened later into the evening between 7 and midnight. This being broad daylight, 2 p.m., in the afternoon, that was probably the most surprising part of it," said the neighbor.
Local perspective:
Neighbors say this area has seen its share of violence before.
"I was definitely a bit shaken by it. Unfortunately, it’s not surprising. It’s not shocking. There was an incident, another shooting, at the bus stop just a block or two away, I believe, earlier this month," said the neighbor. "We have had other incidents over the summer. There have been multiple shootings with various people involved."
Though shootings aren't new to the community, neighbors say it's still a sad situation.
"I’m glad to see a quick response from EMS workers, firefighters, police. They are always very fast here, but it would be nice to have other options and preventative measures," said the neighbor.
What you can do:
If you have any information on who the suspect is or where they might be, call the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.