We’ve reported before on Rebuilding Together Seattle‘s projects in West Seattle – part of their work all over the city handling repair/renovation work for people in need – and this week they were back out west to help WestSide Baby, thanks to a Pepsi Beverage Company grant.
Margie at RTS says 30 Pepsi volunteers pitched in to help WestSide Baby fix up the new space it’s using for more storage near its White Center headquarters; lots more photos on the RTS website
(Scroll down for statement from victims’ family, released by hospital this afternoon)
(Asst. Chief Jim Pugel’s remarks to the media from Seattle Police Headquarters)
2:02 PM: Police are now briefing the media on what they’ve learned about the shootings yesterday afternoon that left four people dead at a home on 14th SW in West Seattle. Here’s our original Thursday afternoon coverage.
BRIEFING NOTES, AS THEY HAPPEN: Police are circulating photos of the weapons they say were used. Here’s the 25 caliber handgun:
Here’s the 9 millimeter:
At least 20 rounds were fired inside the house, Assistant Chief Jim Pugel says. They are trying to figure out “the source” of the guns. They know they were not stolen, and that the woman “did not have a permit.” (They clarify that she would not have needed one just to keep them in the house.)
*They say they are going to play a recording of some of the 911 calls – they want to single out exceptional police work (they name Sgt. Tony Bailey).
*First, they are recounting how events unfolded after police got the call. So far, nothing has changed from the story that was disclosed yesterday. But they still don’t know the motive.
*2:10 PM: They’re playing recordings of communication between dispatch and officers. The tapes reveal the terse, precise, urgent communication between police who did not know initially where the suspect was and if there was still danger.
*2:16 PM: Police say they have heard that the 60-year-old alleged killer was suffering from mental illness, but they have not been able to confirm it independently. They say the lone survivor of the shootings “is expected to recover.” They do not yet know who was shot first.
*2:22 PM: Assistant Chief Pugel again singles out Sgt. Bailey for his exceptional work in keeping other officers from going into potential harm’s way when the reality of the situation wasn’t immediately clear – “he was very specific about getting what we call a contact team, properly trained and equipped one, before he let anyone get exposed – and he did it very fast.” Police were there when the last two shots were fired, he says: “You could actually hear the pops.”
2:27 PM: The briefing is over. We are still awaiting word on whether the Medical Examiner will officially identify the victims today – they usually update their daily media report after 3 pm. Meantime, the recording of police communication during the incident was played again after the briefing – here’s Media Unit Det. Mark Jamieson at the laptop:
Police tell us they likely will finish their work at the house later today.
3:09 PM UPDATE: A statement from the family, including information on how to help, circulated by Harborview Medical Center, where the shooting survivor is being cared for:
Statement from Phan, Harm & Sok Family
Yesterday afternoon’s horrible event cost us four family members. They will surely be missed by all of us.
We ask that the media please correct the currently published report. Saroeun Phan has been struggling with schizophrenia and depression for several years and has sought medical attention numerous times. She has been taking medication prescribed to her by physicians. It is not certain whether she has been properly taking her medication these past couple of months.
It is tough enough to grieve with the loss of family members, it’s even harder dealing with false reports. No arguments or fights took place the night before and no ill-will existed in the household. This has truly been an unforeseen, tragic event.
Our family would like to request solitude as we mourn the loved ones we lost. Thank you to all who have sent and continue to send their love, care & prayers. We will certainly need our friends in the coming weeks & months.
If you wish to contribute monetarily to costs of funeral & medical expenses, we have set up a benevolent account at BECU. That information is below. Deposits can be made at any BECU accepting deposits, by mail or electronically (for BECU Members only).
‘Phan/Harm Memorial Fund’
Acct # 3586082948
BECU
PO BOX 34044
SEATTLE, WA 98124-1044
BECU Members can call: (800) 233-2328
Thankfully,
Phan, Harm & Sok Family
7:23 PM UPDATE: Adding some more video from today’s press conference. This is the question and answer session with additional information:
The photo and report are shared by Kory Kumasaka from Chief Sealth International High School:
Chief Sealth International High School Senior Ebony Beauchamp was surprised in her third period class today when she was awarded the Nordstrom Diversity Scholarship worth $10, 000. Ebony’s family was also on hand to celebrate this great event. The good people at Nordstrom also brought cupcakes to share with her classmates.
(WSB photo from WSHS practice on Thursday) All three of West Seattle’s high-school football teams lost last week – but none as visibly as West Seattle High School, which forfeited to O’Dea High School while down 48-0 at halftime, in pounding rain at West Seattle Stadium. We talked on Thursday with Coach Davis Lura, who says the team’s challenges include the fact they are going into tonight’s game against Franklin High School (7 pm, SWAC) with about 20 players dealing with some sort of injury: “(The number is) up, it’s down, it changes every day,” he told us, saying that’s been the situation since the season began with a non-conference match against Eisenhower HS (from Yakima). The emotional health of the team is good, though, according to Coach Lura, who says practice has been going well – he says no clear leader has emerged but about half a dozen of the players are sharing leadership roles, with spirits remaining high. The coach says Franklin has its best team in 10 years; last week, they beat Nathan Hale. And his players are aware they’re going in with a very limited squad – but they’re looking ahead to more players being able to come back in the weeks ahead, from academic probation as well as injuries, looking to the big Chief Sealth and Rainier Beach games later this fall.
This morning, police tape still ringed the Highland Park house where four people died yesterday afternoon (WSB coverage here) – when, police say, a woman opened fire on four family members – her son-in-law and two teenage granddaughters died, her daughter survived. They have not been officially identified yet, but a family member gave their names to our partners at the Seattle Times, saying the two youngest victims were 14 and 17 years old. We checked with Seattle Public Schools to see if they were currently enrolled in any area schools; the district tells us that while they were SPS students last year, they were not enrolled this year. Police have yet to release new information today but we expect to hear the latest when they brief media at SPD headquarters downtown at 2 pm. 1:38 PM NOTE: We expect to start a new story once the police briefing starts, with text highlights as well as a live stream (hopefully from the Seattle Times).
Two notes from local high schools: One more reminder of the Chief Sealth International High Schoolcommunity celebration tomorrow – parents/guardians are welcome at 9:30 am, everybody else at 10 am, get a chance to tour the newly renovated school, and be entertained by CSIHS students and staff. A tour also was offered for participants at last night’s Sealth PTSA meeting, which we hear had a big turnout. Earlier this week we invited other schools to let us know about their meetings and we’ve since heard from Lori with the West Seattle High School PTSA, who says their first meeting of the year is next Wednesday (September 29th), 7 pm in the WSHS Library: “Everybody is welcome and membership is not required.”
Thanks to Jessica (whose site Memoirs of a Weird Girl is one of the 100+ sites on the WSB Blogs page) for sharing that photo of demolition at the Admiral Safeway redevelopment site today – you can see the crews are proceeding toward the facade. As noted here yesterday, Safeway also now has a webcam you can check; we’ll add images later in the day as this proceeds. The new store – almost twice as big as the old one – is expected to be open by midsummer next year.
As the Seattle-area Susan Komen 3 Day for the Cure walk starts this morning, thanks to Glen Syvertsen for sharing that new video featuring Tracy Dart, the breast-cancer survivor who is namesake for West Seattle’s best-known 3 Day team, Team Tracy, with narration by Tom Hutyler, best known as the Safeco Field “Voice of the Mariners.” (Tom and Glen are both West Seattleites too.) Team Tracy did make the $40,000 fundraising goal mentioned in the video, by the way, and as Tracy mentions on her website, she’s carrying the “Courage” banner in the Survivors’ Circle. Team Tracy members and hundreds of others will leave Redmond this morning on an east/north route, concluding at Memorial Stadium downtown on Sunday. If you’d like to cheer the walkers along the way, “cheering stations” are listed on the 3 Day website. Good luck to all the walkers!
An employee of West Seattle’s GT Towing was killed in a hit-and-run overnight, according to the Washington State Patrol, which sent a news release saying two suspects are in custody, 31-year-old and 20-year-old men:
A tow truck driver was struck and killed on the entrance ramp from Spokane Street to southbound Interstate 5 at approximately 1:15 a.m. while securing a vehicle from an earlier collision. The driver, a 51 year old male working for GT Towing in Seattle, was kneeling down at the left front side of the disabled vehicle when a southbound 2000 Ford Explorer lost control while travelling in the HOV lane. The Explorer came across all 5 southbound lanes and struck the tow truck driver. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
After colliding with the tow truck operator, disabled vehicle, and tow truck, the Explorer spun back across all southbound lanes and came to rest facing northbound in the middle of the freeway. As the tow truck driver lay mortally wounded in the right lane, the driver of the Explorer turned the vehicle around and fled the scene southbound on Interstate 5. Alert troopers located the Explorer within minutes of the collision at the bottom of the Michigan Street ramp as one of the occupants was outside urinating. …
The cause of the collision is under investigation and detectives are working to verify who was driving the SUV. It is believed that both occupants were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the collision. Vehicular homicide and hit and run charges are expected as the investigation progresses.
Metro‘s next “service revision” has some changes for West Seattle and White Center riders – including some trips being dropped entirely – and late tonight, the details came in. Read on for Metro’s full announcement of which routes will be affected:Read More
He’s been on the job for more than a month, but today was the official celebration at South Seattle Community College on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge for new SSCC president Gary Oertli (you might recall, the announcement back in May drew big cheers on campus, as we reported that day). SSCC threw him a party called “Salute to South” this afternoon. Oertli took a moment out to talk with us on video – telling us about a smaller, but goofier celebration, earlier in the day, then discussing the biggest challenge ahead:
Taking the job as SSCC leader was a homecoming for Oertli, a West Seattle native and Chief Sealth alum. SSCC’s previous president, Dr. Jill Wakefield, is now chancellor of the entire citywide community-college system.
Though it is certainly overshadowed by what happened on 14th SW this afternoon, the investigation continues into what was West Seattle’s first murder of 2010 – discovered just yesterday morning (WSB coverage here). Tonight, the man found dead in Roxhill Park around 7:30 am Wednesday is officially identified as 40-year-old Bernard Martin, and the Medical Examiner’s media-hotline report also describes his cause of death as injuries to “the trunk,” primarily rib fractures – police had said he appeared to have been beaten, but had not elaborated. Prior to Mr. Martin’s death, West Seattle hadn’t had a murder case since February 2009 – there were two in 2009, one in 2008, two in 2007 (a third homicide case was ruled self-defense), and we haven’t finished researching 2006 yet (we started covering news in late 2006). No word of an arrest, or even a suspect description, in Wednesday’s killing.
Starting to catch up on some of the other stories that have come in since mid-afternoon: SDOThas issued a traffic alert that takes effect in a few days – this is part of the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project (that’s the section of the West Seattle Bridge between 99 and I-5):
One northbound lane of E Marginal Way S will be closed at Spokane St for three weeks starting Monday morning, Sept 27. The restriction is necessary in order for crews to install column jackets for the seismic retrofit. During this work there will be three lanes northbound on E Marginal just north of westbound Spokane Street. No turning movements will be restricted.
(These updates run through late Thursday night – we will start a new followup story by midmorning Friday)
ORIGINAL 1:46 PM REPORT: We are on our way to the assault-with-weapons call at 14th and Roxbury – more when we know it. The scanner is talking about an “armed suspect” – stay clear of the area. It’s a reported shooting and police are not sure where the suspect is. Scanner indicates possible multiple victims but we don’t have any information yet on their condition(s) or the circumstances.
1:56 PM UPDATE: Two medic units were originally dispatched and a third is now being sent. Scanner confirms at least one patient with a gunshot wound. SWAT units are on the scene as well. The scanner also indicates at least two guns were found inside the house – described as a “9 millimeter and 25 automatic.” The actual address is in the 9400 block of 14th SW (map) which is closer to Cambridge than Roxbury.
2:04 PM UPDATE: One victim is described on scanner as appearing to have three gunshot wounds; this is a 42-year-old female. The medic says on the scanner that SPD has advised fire of possibly “two or three more patients with gunshot wounds.” According to our partners at the Seattle Times, the suspect has been initially described as a 61-year-old Asian woman in white shirt and gray sweatpants.”
2:18 PM UPDATE: Scanner says four DOAs in the house. Again, this is per the scanner, we are still waiting to hear from public info officer at the scene. One survivor, as mentioned earlier, was taken to the hospital. This is the second murder case in West Seattle in two days – after none for more than a year and a half.
2:29 PM UPDATE: Police have briefed media at the scene. We will upload video of the briefing shortly. They are not confirming the conditions of the people at the house but they say the suspect is believed to be one of the four people they say are inside the house. They say the original call came around 1 pm, “shots fired” – and when they arrived, they heard more shots fired. Roxbury is closed westbound near the scene – so traffic effects are stretching beyond the immediate scene.
2:42 PM UPDATE: Christopher Boffoli, part of the WSB team at the scene, says police confirm the four deaths and one survivor and believe that the suspect is among the dead. Assistant chief Jim Pugel’s briefing per Christopher: “Confirmed four dead, including the shooter who is a Southeast Asian woman in her late 50s or early 60’s. It is believed that all involved are the same family. The woman who was transported to Harborview is believed to be the daughter who told police ‘my mother has gone crazy.’ Two handguns were recovered. The husband was outside the house. He broke through the police cordon and went inside. He made it back out alive and is not among the victims. There is a language barrier the officers are working through.”
3:08 PM UPDATE: More from Christopher at the scene – regarding the language barrier, the family is reported to speak Cambodian, according to neighbors. (We did hear a scanner call earlier for a Cambodian translator.) Southwest Precinct commander Captain Joe Kessler is there – this comes just a week before a scheduled command change at the precinct. CSI vans also just arrived on scene about 10 minutes ago. Adding a few additional photos. (All photos we are using were taken by either Christopher Boffoli or Patrick Sand.)
3:15 PM UPDATE: Police are starting to release more information about the people who were found dead: Two women in their late teens and a man in his 30s, in addition to the suspected shooter, now described as a woman in her fifties. Meantime, Christopher reports Roxbury has reopened to traffic – but is slow going with rubberneckers passing what is a clearly visible, sizable police presence.
3:33 PM UPDATE: Seattle Police have posted a summary in multiple tweets – we will transcribe here since they have not posted to their SPD Blotter site yet:
Around 1:31 p.m. officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 9400 block of 14th Avenue SW. Upon arrival, they made contact with an adult female in her 30s who had been shot in the 1400 block of SW Roxbury. Shots were still being fired. While police were still arriving a man in his 50s ran into the house in question. Two more shots were fired and he ran back out. Officers contacted him. He told officers that his wife had shot herself. Officers entered the house and located four people deceased, two women in their late teens, a man in his thirties and a woman in her 50s. Medics were not able to revive any of them. The woman who was discovered outside of the house was transported to HMC for treatment of gunshot injuries. It is believed that the deceased woman in her 50s was the shooter. Two handguns have been recovered. We don’t believe that there are any other victims. Homicide, SWAT, CSI and KCSO are on scene. No motive is known. This is an active investigation and this information is preliminary. Check here for further updates.
4:25 PM UPDATE: Here’s video of Sgt. Sean Whitcomb from the SPD media unit in what’s likely to be the last briefing of the day – he called the crime scene “pretty vicious”:
7:28 PM UPDATE: Checking back at the scene: Police say the medical examiner has just arrived – which would indicate the victims’ bodies have not yet been removed. In the past two hours, we also have added a few more images from this afternoon, photographed as events unfolded. (The photo atop the story is still a cameraphone picture sent from the scene shortly after we arrived.) At the scene tonight, people are still being kept at a distance, media included. In case you are wondering whether anyone has set up any kind of a memorial – no one has been allowed close enough for anything like that to be arranged, or visible.
8:12 PM NOTE: The White Center Community Safety Coalition, whose coverage area includes the neighborhood where today’s shooting happened, had its regularly scheduled meeting tonight, barely a block away from the scene. We attended (we usually cover it anyway for partner site White Center Now) but – not surprisingly – law enforcers weren’t there this time, so there was no new information about the case. The basic summary on SPD Blotter remains the most recent official word.
10:50 PM: Two images from the scene tonight, from Christopher Boffoli. In the first, you see authorities inside the residence, as they prepared to bring out the four bodies:
Official identification is not expected before tomorrow. The Times has spoken to family members and has published the names they were given (here’s their updated story) – reporting that the two teenage girls who were killed were the alleged killer’s granddaughters, 17 and 14 years old.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Another update on the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project, as the first week of demolition continues (here’s our report from Monday) – Sara Corn at Safeway regional HQ says demolition of the main building is beginning today, and the promised webcam is now up too. See it here; you can also find it from Safeway’s project website. (Nothing dramatic to see at the moment, but it’s intended to chronicle construction as it continues over the months ahead, with the new store expected to open next summer.) 11:49 PM NOTE: Our photo is from this afternoon; by nightfall, WSB’er Diane reports, the demolition appeared to be at least halfway done – we’ll check again tomorrow.
The Washington State Lottery just sent us that photo with word that 85-year-old Mabel Aide, who’s lived in West Seattle since 1945, just hit the Hit 5 jackpot – $160,000. According to the lottery’s communications team, she and her best friend always play together – he calls the hotline and reads her the numbers – she thought she had four out of five, then doublechecked, and realized she hit all five. First reaction? “Relief.” What’ll she do with the money? Pay off bills and her mortgage, and travel, she told the lottery folks. By the way, she bought the ticket at Jefferson Square Safeway – which gets $1,600 for selling it.
O’Donnel is a relatively recent West Seattle transplant – one year so far on Alki, after a couple years elsewhere in Seattle following a move from “the other Washington,” where she was a longtime food writer for the Washington Post, for which she also hosted Web chats and produced a series of online cooking videos long before such things were commonplace.
“The other Washington” also is where she was when we spoke by phone earlier this week, as she started a national tour for “The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook” (the tour will of course bring her back here for readings/signings, too), which suggests one meatless menu for every week of the year.
Right off the top, we should mention, O’Donnel is not a vegetarian (as you’ll hear her explain in the promotional video clip atop this story).
From last night’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting – news of a candidates’ forum in a nearby neighborhood, air-traffic-research updates, and the latest business spotlight – read on for the toplines:Read More
ADDED 9:06 AM: Also notable – a big cross-town rivalry game at Hiawatha Playfield today – girls’ soccer, WSHS vs. Chief Sealth, both of whom are undefeated in conference play, 3:30 pm.
In honor of Active Living Week, bonus activities have continued all week at Merrill Gardens‘ two West Seattle locations (both WSB sponsors) – pictured above is Colleen Barnes leading bingo during a cruise-themed day of fun on Tuesday at Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (4611 35th SW), and this afternoon at Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (2326 SW California), there’s more fun and games, with a casino theme. As Admiral Heights’ community-relations director Lee Ann Tucker Thierrault puts it, “Come play with us! … No-risk gaming – we supply the chips, you go home with the prizes!” They’re planning blackjack, roulette, and craps tables, plus musical entertainment including an Elvis impersonator, and a “free Las Vegas-style buffet,” 3-6 pm today. It’s all an example of the active lifestyle that MG says defies what you may think life at a retirement community is like. If you’re interested in checking out today’s event, by the way, RSVP to 206-938-3964.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET FUND: As first reported here in early August, two West Seattle projects are getting money from the Neighborhood Street Fund “Large Projects” allotment – and tonight, those two were among 11 citywide formally announced by the mayor. In what the city calls the Southwest District – basically western West Seattle – crossing improvements are on the way for three California SW intersections: Othello, Frontenac, and Findlay. And in the Delridge Neighborhoods District – basically eastern West Seattle – 25th SW between Brandon and Juneau is in for improvements including curbs and street-widening.
MAYOR’S BUDGET-UNVEILING SCHEDULE: Next Monday is the day we’ll find out just what the mayor proposes to cut to make up for a big budget shortfall, and the schedule of events for the day is out. It’ll start with a “budget address” that is open to the public, noon Monday at the Rainier Beach Community Center. “Limited seating,” warns the mayor’s office, so they will stream it online at seattle.gov/mayor/budget. Then the mayor officially presents the budget to the City Council at 2 pm, and will answer media questions after that.
The 
| 4 COMMENTS