Man injured in downtown Seattle shooting; mayor releases statement on ongoing violence

SEATTLE — A 31-year-old man who was injured in a shooting Wednesday afternoon in downtown Seattle had a handgun and drugs on him, police said.

The shooting occurred at 2:10 p.m. at Third Avenue and Pike Street, where officers responded and found a man with a gunshot wound to the hip.

Authorities said that as officers began first aid, they discovered the man was carrying a handgun and drugs in a waist pack.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.

Witnesses told police that the victim and the shooter got into an argument, which led to gunfire.

Police said an associate of the victim might have exchanged gunfire with the shooter.

Ballistic evidence was recovered from the scene, including from a Metro bus that was damaged.

Officers said they seized the victim’s drugs, approximately 14 grams of heroin, 3 grams of methamphetamine, 82 fentanyl pills, and his gun. The man is a convicted felon who is not permitted to carry a gun, law enforcement said.

The intersection where the shooting happened is no stranger to crime.

This past December, one person was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after they were shot.

In October, two men were stabbed in broad daylight.

Just weeks prior to that incident, a 35-year-old man was shot and killed.

Newly-elected Mayor Bruce Harrell acknowledged there is a problem and said people deserve to feel safe, releasing a statement that read in full:

“Every Seattle resident deserves to feel safe in our City, but repeated incidents of gun violence threaten and harm our collective sense of public safety. My office is committed to taking comprehensive and urgent action to address this preventable public health crisis. Our solutions must be both responsive and proactive.

“That’s why in my first month in office, I’ve hired a Gun Violence Prevention Coordinator to work directly with those impacted by this kind of violence and to help coordinate and drive community-based outreach and solutions.

“I will continue to advocate and support appropriate staffing levels at SPD to ensure quick responses to public safety emergencies and thorough investigations of acts of gun violence.

“And I will advocate for new investments like pilot programs for proven technology like Automatic Gunfire Locator Systems, along with regional coordination and change at the legislative level that allow us to pursue new policies to address the gun violence epidemic.”

The crime has impacted businesses small and large in the area. The Downtown Seattle Association released a statement which reads in full:

“For far too long our city has essentially ceded Third and Pike to criminal enterprises and it’s time to put these people out of business. We need urgent action to get rid of the illegal activity in this area before more people are hurt and more lives are impacted.”

The investigation into Wednesday’s shooting is ongoing.

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