SEATTLE — A Seattle neighborhood is mourning the loss of a man who was found dead outside the Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus offices over the weekend.
News about this death comes days after there have been several break-ins at the building, and residents say the violence is concerning.
“I would see him basically every day, if it wasn’t in the morning, I would see him in the evening when he would be back,” said a neighbor.
Several neighbors told KIRO 7 the man was homeless.
“There are people that knew him from years, years back since before he even slept here… A lot of times neighbors here in the community would offer him blankets, clothes, money, and a lot of times he would refuse it, so one thing about him it was known that he was a really humble man,” the neighbor continued.
Seattle Police said that shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday they received a call about a man in the alley off 12th Avenue. When officers arrived, they found a 68-year-old man dead.
A King County Medical Examiner’s report says he died from multiple injuries to the head.
“I was out around nine in the morning and saw that all of this was already covered up. There (were) cops and the whole investigation going on… It just pains me to hear who knows how long he was out here for,” said a neighbor.
The tragedy comes days after several break-ins at Seattle Chorus.
“It’s a difficult time, we are in a big city, there is crime, we do understand that the Seattle Police Department has been very responsive,” said Craig Coogan, Executive Director for Seattle Men’s and Seattle Women’s Chorus.
“I’m definitely keeping my guard up and trying to stay safe and alert when I’m out,” said a neighbor.
There’s now a growing memorial with flowers and kind messages where the man slept.
“Stopped by again the day after, and more stuff was here, and people have been stopping by. You know, it’s really beautiful to see there was a community here that cared for him,” said a neighbor.