(scroll down for newest information and photos)

(top photo by David Hutchinson, middle was via cameraphone by Patrick Sand, third is a screengrab from Seacrest-area webcam showing medic unit there for shooting victim)
ORIGINAL 7:43 PM REPORT: We know for sure that there’s a major police response on Alki, an assault with weapons call on fire/medics, and there’s a lot of talk about the Pepperdock. Roads also are being blocked off. According to the scanner, police are looking for a suspect described as a black male, late teens, close-cropped hair, black T-shirt, with a black handgun, last seen running “southbound through Whale Tail Park,” possibly with at least one other person – didn’t catch that description. No word yet whether anyone has actually been hit/hurt by gunfire. We’ve got someone on the way there, while we’re also monitoring the scanner and e-mail/phone/etc. info here at WSB HQ. Police are reported to be talking to “multiple witnesses” – one has told police, according to the scanner, that three black males ran through the south end of Whale Tail (near the “Big Toy” play structure) after the shooting, two reported to be wearing “red wife-beater tank tops” and one “carrying one,” reportedly then getting into a “black SUV.”

7:53 PM UPDATE: A Twitter report says the shooting victim is actually at Seacrest – which explains why the fire/medic call is to 1600 Harbor, while the police search is up at the beach.

8:05 PM UPDATE: Co-publisher Patrick Sand is now at Alki – he is seeing K-9 officers searching in the Alki Elementary playground area – also, officers are diverting traffic southward, from the 60th/Admiral area. We also have a Twitter report that traffic headed toward Alki on Harbor Avenue is being diverted southbound onto Fairmount at Salty’s.

8:17 PM UPDATE: Added another photo atop this report, this time, showing police cars blocking Alki Ave near 59th. No word yet of any arrests. No word yet on the shooting victim’s condition, either, but the medic unit that was at Seacrest has headed off for Harborview Medical Center.

8:25 PM UPDATE: Via scanner – police are reopening Alki Ave to traffic, because they are “done processing the scene.” (A moment later, that was confirmed by police at the scene, who apparently will share some more information soon about exactly what happened.)

8:33 PM UPDATE: Alki’s David Hutchinson just sent more scene photos:

A Seattle Police media officer is on his way to the scene to brief media (us included), so we should have some new details when he arrives.

9:17 PM UPDATE: Officer Jeff Kappel has just briefed the media and Patrick called in with details: The victim, male in late teens, was outside Pepperdock with friends when someone opened fire from behind, shooting multiple times. No apparent argument or clash before the gunfire. Victim managed to make it across the street to the grassy area by the beach, friends then loaded him into a car and headed north on Alki Ave, police intercepted the car by Seacrest, which is where they then got him into a medic unit and took him to Harborview, where he’s being treated for what’s described as life-threatening injuries. Also: A second car was following the one with the shooting victim and friends; it has at least one bullet hole in it, so was impounded. All the people with the victim have been taken downtown for questioning as witnesses. K-9 search of immediate neighborhood didn’t turn up anything. But investigators will be at Alki “all night.” (We have the police briefing on video and will upload it as soon as Patrick gets back to HQ.)

9:49 PM UPDATE: Listening to the media-line recording that has since been updated, the circumstance has changed slightly — the person who opened fire was outside the Pepperdock but the victim was across the street, on the beach side. Police say that “homicide and gang detectives” will be at the scene investigating for some time to come. Still no information on the victim’s condition aside from the earlier report of “life-threatening injuries.”

10:30 PM UPDATE: The police summary is now on SPDBlotter – read it here. And here’s the entire, unedited four and a half minute briefing given at the scene by Detective Jeff Kappel from the media unit:

(video not available due to blip.tv shutdown)

5:15 AM SATURDAY: No new updates from police regarding the victim’s condition or any arrests. We did get a note from a witness describing what he saw and wanted to share that:

A friend and I were walking East/North on Harbor toward Slices, passing just in front of the mexican & thai restaurants (just west of Pepperdock) when the shots were fired (my friend heard 6 – 8, I heard more… like 10). My friend and I ducked behind the small trees there while some folks eating on the patio started heckling us for being spooked over some “fireworks.” As my friend and I got to the cross street, I saw what looked like two kids running south on the street (I’m 25… so they seriously looked like “kids”). There was a bit of confusion in the area as most people naively assumed fireworks was the cause of the disturbance, but as we crossed the street toward Slices, people were still looking back at the scene. Across the street in the grassy area, an african american male was down with his friends surrounding him. The boys looked thuggish (if anything could be said for the gang energy on Alki). These boys loaded their friend into the back of their black chevy impala (license plate 706 **K), and flipped a U-turn on harbor ave and screeched away. As you know, sunny friday’s are not conducive to speedy exits. They nearly ran over a family crossing the street while they tore off down the street. I saw a few of their friends run off down another street, but they could have just been running toward their car. The police arrived a few minutes later.

i spoke with an employee at Slices and she saw the shooter. She desribed him as a “kid” and thought it was a cap gun because he was firing “wildly” and it didn’t look like he was aiming at any thing as he was “shooting wildly” and “laughing.” What a scary scene.

11:15 AM SATURDAY: The latest official police “update” as of a few minutes ago was, “no new updates.” Just in case you were wondering. (5:37 pm note – we’ve been checking but still no updates)

(scroll down for newest photos, info)

ORIGINAL 2:47 PM REPORT: Checking on multiple reports (thanks for the calls and e-mails) of major police activity in the Endolyne business district area of Fauntleroy. We’re told roads are blocked off in the area. One neighbor describes the scene: “Multiple cop cars cutting off every street in my neighborhood and police with guns drawn running around especially up by the bakery/restaurant.” We’re heading down the hill now to find out what’s going on.

2:59 PM: Still no official information as it is a very chaotic scene but two citizen reports suggest it involves a suspect who may have a gun. So DEFINITELY avoid the area TFN. We can’t get close from the west side so we’re going around the other way. Scanner indicates special units are being used here including SWAT (en route if not there yet) – a negotiator is apparently on the scene. Scanner says suspect has told police no one else is with him.

3:22 PM UPDATE: An officer at the scene told us the person they’re all focused on is believed to be in the alley behind Endolyne Joe’s. The SWAT team has just arrived — adding a photo in a moment.

3:54 PM UPDATE: No major updates from the scene. Police all in position, though some of them have moved around. Scanner traffic within the past several minutes indicated the suspect was still talking via phone with police. And on a practical note, this is affecting traffic toward and from the ferry dock AND traffic between Fauntleroy and Marine View Drive/west Arbor Heights, so keep that in mind.

4:12 PM UPDATE: To further clarify, co-publisher Patrick Sand, who’s our reporter/photographer on the scene right now, says he’s been told the suspect is in a 2-story apartment building on the alley behind Endolyne Joe’s. Just in case that helps you further figure out where all this is unfolding. Adding a photo – note we are cropping our SWAT team photos as it’s important in standoff situations not to show police’s exact positions, lest a suspect be monitoring media (of any kind):

4:36 PM UPDATE: Police are now using a bullhorn to try to get the suspect to re-establish contact. From comments (if you haven’t read it there already), Rick is at the scene and forced to stay at his workplace while the standoff continues:

I’m at work in the middle of this, i’m inside the taped area, my office wall adjacent to this alley. There are a handful of swat patrol guys with machine guns outside my window. I tried to leave and they told me to go back inside and wait. I’m watching from my window…

WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is also now at the scene, which we have covered from both sides. (After arriving, he took the next photo, added Saturday evening:)

5:30 PM UPDATE: No major developments. Standoff still under way. Police still trying to get suspect to re-establish contact. The loud noises you hear are being made by police, deliberately, we can verify. There are still conflicting anecdotal reports from the scene whether anyone was believed to be in the house with the man.

6:01 PM UPDATE: Again, we’re not doing play-by-play from the scene because (as discussed in comments) there are some details that it’s safer not to report publicly while these situations are unfolding. Police are still using a bullhorn to try to get the man to respond; the building he’s believed to be in is the 4-plex immediately west of the commercial building at 45th/Wildwood.

6:09 PM UPDATE: SPD spokesperson Officer Renee Witt just confirmed to us – after we called to triplecheck – that what we have been reporting for hours is accurate: NO HOSTAGES.

7:10 PM UPDATE: Status quo at the scene. In news of nearby businesses, we called Endolyne Joe’s to see if they were planning to be open IF this ends before too long, and Mike told us no, they just decided a short time ago to send everybody home, to be on the safe side. So they are closed for the rest of the night, no matter what. Kitty-corner in the same intersection, though, people are coming and going from Guadalajara – that’s on the other side of the police tape.

7:38 PM UPDATE: Police at least briefly heard from the suspect for the first time in a while, according to the scanner. And without going into further detail, let’s just say this could go on for quite some time. Just saying that so if you live in the area and have been waiting to make your plans for the evening based on whether this might end sometime soon, you can plan otherwise. We will probably start a new story for evening updates on this, since there’s another story we’ve been holding off on publishing to keep this atop the page; when we do that, we will add the URL here, but till you see that, we’ll add any new info here.

8:12 PM UPDATE: It’s over – the man came out and surrendered. Starting a separate post to cover that. Find it here.