West Seattle, Washington
30 Wednesday
@westseattleblog shooting at west seattle stadium, initial police response pic.twitter.com/Xd1DYnkyNt
— Kate Jesse (@KRJESSE) May 9, 2018
(Video of police arriving, tweeted by Kate)
7:47 PM: Police and fire are converging on West Seattle Stadium for what is logged as a “scenes of violence” response (we had just confirmed yesterday, that’s the new name for what used to be “assault with weapons”). No word yet on the circumstances – scanner indicates at least one person is being sought – we’re on our way to find out more.
(Texted photo)
7:50 PM: Per scanner, at least one witness says shots were fired and then a male in a red hoodie and gray pants took off.
7:58 PM: Also per scanner, a gray Toyota Camry with hood damage might be linked to this. There is a victim who’s being taken to the hospital.
8:06 PM: Police are “shutting down the lower lot,” they’ve said via radio, while the investigation continues. And we should take a moment to say thanks for all the tips and photos.
8:09 PM: SPD says the victim is an “adult male shot several times, rushed to HMC with life-threatening injuries.” Commenters are saying the event at the stadium when this happened was a Seattle Parks track meet.
8:17 PM: Also note that 35th NB is down to one lane by the stadium, with the entrance blocked off, our crew reports. The investigation is concentrated on the west end of the stadium.
8:27 PM: Detectives continue talking with people at the stadium/golf course. No update on victim or suspect so far.
8:49 PM: We’re continuing to await someone who is authorized to brief media. Meantime, a commenter/witness is first to offer an account of what may have preceded the shooting.
9:16 PM: Seattle PD’s on-call public information officer Det. Mark Jamieson tells us he’s on his way to the scene so we should have an update before too long – our crew is still there.
10:01 PM: Police tell us that the victim has died. More from the briefing shortly. (added) Our crew says Det. Jamieson actually had little else to say – nothing about circumstances, no description details. (We’ll add full video of his briefing once it’s uploaded.) They checked out a tip about a possible sighting of a car like the one described early on but it didn’t pan out. If you have any information about the killer, call 911.
10:36 PM: Just listened to the briefing while it’s uploading. Three other things: Det. Jamieson said the victim was a man in his 40s. The shooting happened in the parking lot. Also, the reason they don’t have a good description of the suspect yet is that they are dealing with “conflicting reports.”
11:11 PM: Video added above. Also: This is West Seattle’s first homicide case of 2018. The last one was the deadly shooting of 25-year-old Edixon Velasquez outside his Westwood home last September. Two suspects in that case remain in jail, awaiting trial.
ADDED 8:50 AM: Lots to follow up on today, of course, but for starters, we went by the stadium this morning, and it has reopened; police completed their work at the scene overnight.
9:11 AM: Also, we are pointed to a Facebook post that confirms something we were told last night but couldn’t confirm at the time – the Rainier Beach Track Club, one of the participants at the meet, says the victim was the dad of one of their athletes..
1:05 PM: Police have added this update to the SPD Blotter account of last night’s deadly shooting: “Detectives now believe that the victim in last night’s shooting may have been targeted. Detectives are still working to identify additional witnesses. Anyone with information on last night’s incident is urged to contact the Seattle Police Tip Line at 206-233-5000.”
3:50 PM: We sent Seattle Parks a few questions this morning and just got answers this afternoon. Via spokesperson Rachel Schulkin, they confirm that Rainier Beach and High Point athletes were at the meet when this happened. A meet for North Seattle teams that was scheduled for the stadium today will go on as planned. And as mentioned earlier today, the stadium is open in general Also:
In the wake of Tuesday evening’s tragedy, we are working with the Seattle Police Department and community partners to support staff, volunteers, children, and their families during this difficult time. As a result of this tragedy, we are also working to potentially postpone and relocate upcoming track meets to different locations.
7:23 PM: In comments, Shelley shares a GoFundMe link just set up for the family of the victim, who is identified on that page as Lorenzo Marr.
Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
HIT-RUN: The photo is from Poy, who says his car – the white one – is undrivable after being hit by somebody in the red one on Harbor Avenue near the 7-11 on Monday. The photo is from his neighbor, who says the two men were seen walking away after the crash. Poy doesn’t know how the other car left the scene – driven away, towed, or … – but if you have any information, here’s the incident #:18-162204.
Now, news of two abandoned (therefore most likely stolen/dumped) bicycles:
FOUND TODAY: The photo and report are from Tom: “I found a bike on my commute home. It was found at the West side of the Low Bridge in West Seattle around 330-345. Police have been called. The bike is currently being watched at Ounces on Delridge. It is a silver Windsor Wellington 4.0.”
FOUND MONDAY: From L: “A BMX-style bike was found over the embankment near Chief Sealth High School. I guess a decent description or the serial number from someone losing a bike would suffice its return. Please call Liz at 206.604.5618. If no one claims it, then it’ll be donated to a good cause.”
(Substituted for our photo of hit-run car, wider view of the scene, by Sue)
12:58 PM: Police have just taken a man into custody after a search along SW Juneau on both sides of Delridge. We caught up with the discussion (thanks to everybody for the tips) in the middle of the search but just checked with SPD media relations to see what it was about: They say it started with a hit-and-run crash in the 5400 block of 26th SW. The suspect has been detained near 23rd and Juneau.
1:03 PM: This is near Louisa Boren STEM K-8; parents are messaging us that the school is/was in “lockdown” as a result, but again, the search is now over. Knowing this was happening near the school, we had a message out to the district asking if any precautions had been taken, but hadn’t heard back.
1:12 PM: Our crew just arrived at STEM and has been told they were sheltering in place but they just got the all-clear from police, so that’s ending.
1:23 PM: Added a photo of the car involved in the hit-run. The suspect, meantime, was going to the hospital via private ambulance.
3:08 PM: STEM K-8 principal Ben Ostrom sent this letter to families:
Dear STEM K-8 Families,
I want to share news of an situation that your student may want to talk about with you. At approximately 12:45 p.m. today, STEM K-8 went into lockdown for approximately 15 minutes.
In response to a car accident north of our school, there was police activity that involved several officers with drawn guns and canine units. To be safe, STEM went into immediate lockdown until we were notified that the suspect had been apprehended. I am proud of how well our students and staff responded, and there was no danger to students or staff.
Thanks.
If you are in the Westwood area and noticing police at Chief Sealth International High School: They’re questioning three students in connection with what was first reported as an assault – another student hit and knocked down near 26th and Thistle – and then changed to a report of “strong-arm robbery” (no weapon). Police spotted someone described as a possible suspect and two companions walking into the school. We went down to find out more; police say they’re still talking to everyone involved to sort it out, and principal Aida Fraser-Hammer tells us school is proceeding normally. We’ll check back with SPD later.
If you try going to 2 Fingers Social in South Delridge tonight, that’s the sign you’ll find. The five-month-old neighborhood bar is closed because of a theft that they believe was the start of a break-in attempt. Early today, someone went under their fence and stole their exterior cameras and cut wires that took out their power and internet. They got the electricity back but not the internet, which means their payment system is interrupted. They believe the thief/thieves were startled/interrupted before actually breaking into the building – nothing besides the cameras is missing. They hope to have the internet connection restored tomorrow so they can reopen. If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 18-160932.(Thanks to the person who texted to let us know about this.)
Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
MINI-MART BREAK-IN: Thanks to Casey for the tip, after seeing that obvious sign that something had happened at the California/Andover mini-mart. The Tweets by Beat log confirmed a break-in this morning; police report wouldn’t be available until tomorrow if at all, so we went over to see what we could find out. The person on duty at the mini-mart was too busy to talk much but he confirmed they were burglarized while closed early this morning; the burglar(s) got away with cigarettes and a computer. If you have any information, the police report # is 18-160632.
CARPORT PROWLERS: This happened in an apartment building carport at 42nd/College i North Admiral last Wednesday afternoon, with one person shown clearly “before they tried to cover the camera with tape,” as the sender described it:
The shot through the portion of the lens that subsequently remained uncovered partly shows their car, the sender says, adding that it “appears to be a Subaru or VW with a ‘snorkel’ attachment on the driver’s side. Pretty distinctive car.”
Any info on this? SPD incident #18-156445.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
DUMPED/STOLEN? A reader spotted these items strewn at the Murray Wet Weather Facility across from Lowman Beach this morning and sent the photo:
We can’t guarantee they’re still there but passing along the photo just in case someone recognizes their stuff.
ODD THEFT: Kathryn noted a piece missing from her vehicle:
Someone stole my lower (reflector) from my Jeep parked on the street (Tuesday) night. I park on 42nd Ave SW between Fauntleroy and Graham. There’s no other damage to the vehicle or signs of forced entry. Just annoying!
5:20 PM: In case you’re wondering about the police search in central Delridge, with a K-9 team joining officers in the Delridge/Myrtle vicinity, as well as points east and uphill toward Puget Ridge, here’s what we have found out so far: This started with one man punching another in the face near Home Depot. The victim was taken to the hospital by private ambulance. The suspect is known to the victim. No luck finding him yet.
5:50 PM: Still on the loose.
Thanks for the tip about the response in the 3200 block of SW Avalon Way this past hour – we missed the initial dispatch because the scanner has been jumping with May Day preparations. Went to check it out, and police were leaving, with SFD about to leave too, and only able to tell us that a woman was being transported to the hospital by private ambulance. Next stop, the precinct, where the only note in the system was that it turned out to be a “person in crisis” situation.
Three reader reports and a followup:
TRUCK AND CAR BROKEN INTO: James reports his company truck was broken into Sunday night in Morgan Junction, and that wasn’t all that happened:
Smash and grab, they left the tools but stole the snacks and Bluetooth headphones. Another tenant at our apartment also had her window busted out; only thing taken was a pack of cigarettes. It happened on 42nd Ave SW between Morgan and Holly.
PACKAGE THEFT: Kate reports a package stolen on 46th SW in Seaview between 2 pm and 7 pm Monday.
MORE PAINT VANDALISM: This isn’t even really “tagging,” since it doesn’t seem to be anyone’s signature – after the report we published yesterday, we heard from D., also in Gatewood, whose car was vandalized sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning, also in green paint, this time with the word “booty.”
CAR RECOVERED: Yet another recently stolen Subaru Legacy has been recovered. The one stolen from Alki last week was found in Burien. Its owner reports, “It’s now back home and seems none the worse for wear, but now has new plates.”
Two cases of vandalism vs. cars in West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
WINDOWS SHOT OUT: The photo is from Megan in Highland Park, who reports: “3rd time my car windows have been shot out on 9th Ave SW, in front of my house. So frustrating.”
And in Gatewood…
PAINT VANDALISM: The photo and report are from Charis:
Wanted to share as I am curious if this happened to others last night. Our car (picture) and our neighbors’ cars were tagged last night or early this morning. It was in the Gatewood area (near 39th/Southern). One car was tagged with SUCC. Not sure of the meaning. And if someone does, please share. Just a reminder that neighborhood watch efforts are important (we are thankful for ours).
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
BURGLARY ATTEMPT: From Mitchell:
Friday morning, April 27th at around 5:35 a.m., a man tried getting into my house. He was pushing on the windows and tried to open the sliding glass doors located on the back of my house. I called the police and shortly after I watched the person walk off my property down Fauntleroy SW. Police responded, but said they couldn’t do much as the person did not enter the home and they did not see him in the area.
My home is about a block from Gatewood Elementary on Fauntleroy Way SW. Closest street intersection: SW Mills St. and Fauntleroy Way SW. If you could post a notice to the community, that would be appreciated. Maybe just a note to keep windows and doors locked even as we move into the warmer months.
STOLEN AND DUMPED PURSE? Not far south of there, later in the day on Friday, Tom found potentially stolen/dumped items:
Walking the dog around 5 PM on 4/27 and spotted a purse that appears to have been tossed in the bushes near the corner of SW Cloverdale St and Fauntleroy Pl SW. Contains a pair of shoes, a sports bra, and a receipt. Owner can contact me at TL*****@***il.com.
We asked Tom if he had taken possession of the items – he went back for them and the jacket/yoga pants in the purse (which he thought might also be a gym bag) were gone, but he has everything else, so if you’re missing something in that area, contact him.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch. First, another stolen Subaru:
STOLEN LEGACY: The photo is from a reader who reports, “Our 1996 green Subaru Legacy sedan was stolen from in front of 3008 Alki Ave SW sometime between 4 pm Thursday and 915 am Friday morning. License is BAL5609. Seattle Police have been advised.” Call 911 if you see it.
ONE NIGHT, TWO CAR PROWLS: The video clips are from early Thursday morning, from Charlie‘s camera in upper Luna Park:
Charlie adds, “Both just checked if our cars were locked and moved on. I have a sneaking suspicion that the first prowler is the same person who we recorded several months ago.”
Mark says his son’s bicycle was stolen from Alki last night, near 57th/Stevens:
Description: “It is black, gray, and red. It has pegs on the front and is a Kent 1800 abyss. Has a name plate under the seat with his name Logan on it.” Report # T18005002 – call police if you see it.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
CAR PROWLER IN SUNRISE HEIGHTS: Above is reader video of a prowler trying the handles on cars parked along the alley between 34th and 35th off SW Othello. The sender reports, “I’m usually really good about locking my door but I forgot to on this night. He rummaged through my things but I’m fairly certain my dog started barking, so he left. It appears nothing was taken. He just threw my glove compartment items around my car.” After sending this, he sent an addendum: “I forgot that I had a … conversion kit for my car. It’s KETSUN brand for 2015 Hyundai Accent (either 9003 or 9005 bulbs); the kit came in a case with a big brand sticker, 2 bulbs, 2 ballasts, and a mounting kit.” If you have any info, the police report number is 18-903453.
HIT-AND-RUN IN THE JUNCTION: From Jeff:
My perfectly good Wednesday afternoon was ruined, when a car sped past and cut me off, tearing their rear bumper nearly off in the process. This happened around 5:45 pm tonight in front of Shadowland (just north of Oregon on California. Right where the right lane merges to the left to one-lane). Car sped up to get around me on my right, and while he did make it, his driver’s side rear bumper caught an air intake and the front wheel well. I pulled over but he was already speeding off, dragging his bumper behind him. Tried to catch up but King County Metro and the lights had other ideas.
Jeff says the suspect’s car was a black Scion Xb, but he didn’t get the plate; missing rear window, covered with plastic. “Now also missing rear bumper.” Jeff’s car is a white late-model Lexus 4-door sedan. Police incident # is 18-146007.
Now, two followups:
PAUL STORY SENTENCED: We last wrote a year ago about Paul D. Story, charged in the boathouse break-in after which police pulled him out of the water to arrest him. He had been in and out of jail twice since then, most recently booked in October of last year. Since then, he struck a plea bargain, pleading guilty to residential burglary and third-degree assault. Today he was sentenced to a jail term that equaled time already served, plus a residential Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative program for three to seven months, starting immediately; the register shows he was released this afternoon and court documents say he was supposed to go immediately into the custody of the service administering the program.
GREGORY THOMPSON’S BAIL INCREASED: We reported earlier this week on the arrest of Gregory Thompson of Puget Ridge, wanted on warrants for failing to appear in two drug cases. His bail has now been increased to more than $110,000, and the jail register shows he is under investigation for a possible new charge of unlawful gun possession, because of the gun found after he was arrested at Westwood Village.
Two notes before the night’s out:
ARREST ON 35TH SW: We received some questions about an incident around 7 pm tonight on 35th SW – police were reported to have arrested a man at gunpoint. We didn’t hear about it until afterward but asked at the precinct. They told us it was a “person in crisis” situation – the man had a knife and was walking in and out of the road. He was taken into custody without anyone being hurt.
CAR PROWLS FOLLOWED BY DUMPED ITEMS: The photo and report are from Tony:
We live on the 3400 block of 44th Ave SW. Two nights ago someone car-prowled their way down 44th Ave sw. Our car was hit but fortunately we had nothing of value inside. Anyways while on a walk this evening my wife and I spotted what looked like possibly some ditched belongings potentially from the car prowl due to proximity and location. On 44th just South of Charlestown St on the east side of the street was this small pile. I’m mainly writing due to the fact there were two sets of what looked to be car keys which I know can be expensive and potentially hard to replace.
9:18 AM: Almost two weeks ago, we reported on a warrant out for the arrest of 28-year-old Gregory L. Thompson, whose February arrest on Puget Ridge in connection with guns and drugs had made citywide news. (The photo at right was distributed by SPD at the time.) The warrant was issued because he had failed to show up for a court hearing. Thompson is back in jail as of Monday afternoon, according to the King County Jail Register, which shows he is being held on two warrants for failure to appear in drug cases, with bail now set at $60,000. We’ll keep watching the case to see what happens next.
1:03 PM: SPD Blotter has just published details of Thompson’s arrest – from the post:
… Officers patrolling Westwood Village as a part of an ongoing effort to curb car break-ins and auto theft spotted a vehicle they recognized that had in the past been used by a warrant suspect. The officers did a records check and found the 29-year-old warrant suspect had over $60,000 in outstanding warrants, so they waited for the man to return.
The suspect returned a minute later, drink in hand, and was approached by police. The suspect dropped his beverage, turned and ran away. The suspect slipped and fell less than a block away and was taken into custody.
Officers searched the man’s backpack and discovered a Rock Island Armory 1911 .45 handgun. The suspect did not possess a concealed weapons permit and the gun was placed into evidence. Officers also found credit cards not belonging to him, lock picks, and shaved keys.
The SPD post includes a photo of the gun.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN CAR: From Samantha:
Car was a 2013 white (Toyota) RAV4 with a few scratches on the passenger door. Stolen from 44th and Hanford. Inside was a black seat inside, green stroller and red diaper bag. Plus a bag of baby clothes. License plate BBK1728.
Call 911 if you see it.
HIT-RUN: From Joe:
(Thursday) night in the West Seattle parking lot behind Husky Deli, someone plowed into the side of our minivan. Ok, parking is tough in West Seattle but to have someone crash into your car in the parking lot and not leave a note or something. Terrible. This is not a little scratch, it’s a huge smack and caved into the door. Their car must have had some damage. Therefore it must have been very loud and someone must have heard it. Anyone (Thursday) night in the area of the West Seattle free parking behind Husky Deli, please let us know. About 8:30 pm.
Police report # 2018-138916.
P.S. Tomorrow is your next chance to hear directly from police about local crime trends, and to bring up your neighborhood concerns, during the monthly meeting of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network – 6:30 pm Tuesday at the precinct (2300 SW Webster).
Seattle Police, according to radio communication, have found at least one shell casing while investigating reports of gunfire in Highland Park. The discovery is reported in the 8400 block of 10th SW, not far from some of the locations where 911 callers reported hearing it – from the 8600 block of 12th SW to the 9200 block of 21st SW. No reports of anyone being hurt.
WSB readers have had a great track record lately for finding stolen vehicles shown/featured here (most recently, the red Nissan Pulsar was spotted and recovered in the Admiral Bartell Drugs parking lot). So maybe you will be able to help John get his motorcycle back. Here’s the motorcycle, a red 2011 Honda CBR 600RR:
And here’s a security photo of a pickup truck leaving with the motorcycle this morning in the 4800 block of California SW in The Junction:
John says the pickup appears to be a red 1980s Toyota. SPD incident # 18-141400 – call 911 if you see the motorcycle or have other info about the theft.
P.S. If you are anywhere in that area and have a security camera, check your video when you can – maybe you caught the truck too and can see its plate #.
From a reader reporting anonymously:
(Friday) sometime between 12:00-1:30 pm, in the South parking lot at Westcrest Park, my car was broken into – no sign of forced entry and nothing obvious taken – except for my wallet, from the glove compartment. I was playing with my son for about 20 minutes at the small play area there in front of the lot, and did take passing note of a sketchy looking man hanging out listening to his radio and possibly reading a newspaper in a beat-up old-model white pickup truck.
After 20 minutes, we walked the dog into the dog park, then played for an hour or so at the Westcrest playground and then returned to the car around 1:45 pm. I noticed my wallet was gone only when I went to grab it before heading into a store around 2 pm. I then started receiving text alerts about suspicious charges about 15 minutes later. The thieves racked up over $11,000 or charges at Apple, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and other stores, all at Southcenter – within probably 20 or 30 minutes, before their charges started being declined and I was notified. While filing a police report, I was told by the officer that it is relatively common for thieves to use signal-boosting devices for RFID key fobs to mirror the correct frequency to a vehicle and thereby gain entry without any apparent sign of forced breaking and entering. These devices can work over a fairly sizable range: the playground we were at near this parking lot would be well within range. I had no idea such a thing existed and hopefully others can learn from my mistake:
1) Westcrest parking lot, in the middle of the day, as per other reports on here, is still a high car prowl, sketchy place.
2) Be aware of suspicious looking car-sitters and remove all valuables from your car. The glove box is the first place they target after any visible purses on seats.
3) Thieves can essentially gain entrance to your vehicle if you have a keyfob and hang out relatively near your vehicle for a while. Consider getting an RFID blocking device and place your key in it.
Regardless of whether they’re using an electronic device, car prowlers can work quickly, we’ve heard from police and victims time and time again, without those nearby, even in busy areas, being aware of what’s going on.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:
BURGLARY ATTEMPT: From the scanner – police rushed to a residence near 26th/Nevada about half an hour ago after a report that someone tried to break in while at least one resident was at home. They found and detained a suspect within minutes.
NOT SHOTS: Also via radio communications – earlier in the evening in North Delridge, 911 got multiple calls about possible gunfire heard near Delridge/Brandon and some other areas not too far from there. Officers who responded were told by people out walking that “kids” were seen setting off fireworks, so, absent a victim or other gunfire evidence, that’s what they believe people heard.
TIRE THEFT: Tony e-mailed tonight to report, “Someone is stealing right now in the Fauntleroy/Gatewood neighborhood – just went out to get something from my car and my spare tire is gone and that’s the second time it happened!”
TRUCK THEFT FOLLOWUP: More information and visuals tonight on the theft of a ’97 red Ford F250 and white trailer, reported here Thursday. The truck owner says this screengrab includes “the vehicle that dropped the car thief off at our house and then followed him once the car was stolen.”
It appears to be a dark color (green or dark blue) Ford Explorer with tan lower trim. They drove from our house at 36th down SW Charlestown … and took a right on 34th which is a very weird path to take (instead of getting on 35th, main road to highway and South Seattle)….if anyone has video on 34th or the intersection of Fauntleroy and 35th, it would be very helpful.
This video shows the stolen truck being driven off, with the other vehicle following:
The truck’s plates are C95175L; the trailer’s plate is 1261YF.
Three updates from King County Superior Court files:
KIERRA WARD: The defendant in last October’s Admiral stabbing was in court again this morning for a trial-readiness hearing, postponed from last week. The result: Ward’s trial date has been continued to May 23rd, with another readiness hearing on May 11th, because the defense has just received an expert report and requested time to review it. Ward remains in jail in lieu of $400,000 bail.
SALVADOR SAHAGUN: A month and a half after theft charges were filed against Salvador Sahagun for allegedly not paying millions in sales taxes due from his Tacos Guaymas restaurants, he was arraigned today. Documents from the hearing say he pleaded not guilty. He remains out of custody on personal recognizance.
NICHOLAS WATSON: Three weeks after his return to jail, this suspected burglar/car thief was released last week, according to the county jail register. We reported March 20th that he was booked on a warrant after ceasing to show up for the alternative-custody program CCAP into which he had been released. Checking back on his case, we learned that he was released April 9th, to be given another chance in that program, the “enhanced” version which according to this page includes substance-abuse treatment. Court documents show Watson told authorities he will be living in Everett.
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