WSDOT: Renton road workers shot at, no suspects identified

Renton WSDOT workers shot at

Crew members say two men got out of a vehicle parked nearby and walked down the river embankment. Crews then heard three loud gunshots, before the car sped off.

RENTON, Wash. - Police are investigating after a person shot at road workers in Renton late Tuesday night.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says around 10:50 p.m., crews were out working along the Cedar River Trail by the I-405 overpass. Police were told a black sedan parked across the walking bridge roughly 75 yards away, and stayed there for around 15 minutes.

After a time, crew members say two men got out and walked down the river embankment. Crews then heard three loud gunshots, before the car sped off.

WSDOT Spokesperson Craig Smiley says the crew reported the men who shot at them were wearing reflective gear.

"I don't know why they would be just somebody that's doing some unfortunate things on people that are working very hard to work on those roads," Smiley said.

The department presumes the workers had been shot at, but Renton Police say workers they spoke to were uncertain if they were the targets.

"Now you have to picture this: that you're under an overpass and so it's very echoy, it's very loud," Renton PD spokesperson Meeghan Black said. "There could be traffic going by so there's a lot going on at this point in time. We don't know if the crews were an intended target. We don't know where the shots were being fired at."

Officers collected three spent bullet casings, plus a live bullet down along the beach.

"We've never had anything like this, so a little bit of unchartered territory," Smiley said.

It is not known what led up to the incident, but officials have not reported any injuries. WSDOT says none of their gear was damaged.

The crew has been working on the 405 widening from Renton to Bellevue trying to complete the project by 2025. WSDOT says for the safety of employees, they were sent home after the shooting. Construction has only resumed during the day.

"We’re always concerned when a crew is out there," Smiley said. "Number one there are already dealing with drivers that may or may not be paying attention out on the road or late at night. There's all types of things that they have to deal with on a good day, so when you throw something like this on top, it's extremely concerning for us."

WSDOT is working with their contractor and safety officers to ensure the crew is safe as the building continues.

Witnesses were unable to get a good look at the suspects.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call Renton Police at (425) 430-7500.

WSDOT also encourages commuters to be extra nice to road workers, saying they "deal with more than you can imagine."

"They're out there late at night doing their job and we don't want to see them put in that situation," Black said. The investigation is ongoing.

WSDOT says the incident should not impact their projected completion date.

Editor's note: WSDOT and Renton Police provided conflicting reports within a short timespan; FOX 13 News is updating this story as more clarification becomes available.