Road rage shooting results in death of 68-year-old man

SEATTLE — A 68-year-old man from Tukwila was killed in a South Seattle road rage shooting on Thursday.

It happened at about 10:30 a.m. near the Costco in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood in the 4400 block of 4th Avenue South.

“I heard a pop,” said Mike Fleming, a manager at Carpet Liquidators, which is near the intersection where the shooting happened. “There was an older fella that was out of his truck. Looked like he was in pain,” he said.

Seattle police said it began as a road rage incident that escalated to a confrontation, then a shooting.

“It’s too sad,” Fleming said. He added that he spoke with witnesses down the road who saw what happened.

“The one guy wouldn’t let the other guy in, and sounds like he got out of his vehicle and approached the other guy at a stoplight, and that’s when he got shot,” Fleming said.

Police said they found the 68-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to the stomach. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center where he died.

“There’s no way, I’m never going to process this,” said Mark Fasano, a close friend of the victim. He got the call from the hospital.

“I’m completely confused. Whatever happened here just doesn’t sound like him,” Fasano said. “He never would’ve gotten involved in something like this,” he said.

Fasano described the victim the victim as a kind man who loved hydroplanes, and was always helping others.

“Everybody owes (him). He was the neighborhood handy man, the guy who did everything, fishing, pluming, framer, he did everything,” Fasano said.

Seattle police said the 38-year-old man who opened fire called 911 and is cooperating with authorities.

KIRO 7 asked Seattle police if the shooter would be arrested or charged. SPD said detectives are still investigating. Police said they collected the man’s gun as evidence.

People in the SoDo neighborhood said what happened is a scary reality, and a reminder that people never know what another driver might do.

“It’s definitely alarming that it’s gotten to that point, that people resort to that type of violence,” said David Chac who works at A1 Cabinets and Granite nearby. “Reminds each day go to your loved ones and say ‘I love you’ before you leave,” he said.

Data from Washington State Highway Patrol shows shootings on freeways are way up this year.

Not all are road rage incidents, but in Pierce and Thurston counties, troopers already responded to more than 40 shootings this year, outstripping the 30 incidents seen all of last year.

In King County, highway shootings also are on track to surpass last year’s totals. Police have responded to 36 shootings so far, compared to 53 all of last year.

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