One shot at car wash in busy part of White Center

KING COUNTY, Wash. — One person was taken to the hospital after a shooting in the unincorporated King County area of White Center.

It happened at around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday on 16th Avenue Southwest -- a heavily traveled urban area with a Saar’s grocery store, The Carwash Palace, a popular Mexican restaurant nearby, and home to many small businesses.

According to the White Center Blog, the shooting happened at the car wash. Deputies did not know how badly the victim was hurt.

King County deputies said they found a suspect and took them into custody shortly after the shooting.

The location where the shooting happened is near Southwest 106th Street, only blocks from Steve Cox Memorial Park on Southwest 102nd Street. The park was renamed in 2007 after the fallen King County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was killed in White Center.

Cox died in the line of duty on Dec. 2, 2006. He was interviewing a shooting suspect who suddenly pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

The deputy was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he died.

Cox was born in Seattle, raised in nearby Burien, attended Evergreen High School and had a law degree.

He first worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Franklin County, then as a prosecutor in King County. He eventually gave up that position to fulfill a lifelong desire to become a King County sheriff’s deputy.

Cox served as a King County deputy for nine years. The last three of those years were in the White Center community, where he volunteered, was president of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, and was known as a community leader who wanted to make a difference.

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