SEATTLE — Two innocent bystanders were hit during a shootout in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on Friday night, according to police.
At around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Seattle Police Department officers were reportedly working on a nightlife emphasis when they heard gunshots near 11th Avenue and East Pike Street.
Officers responded immediately and found two injured bystanders: a man who had been struck in the leg multiple times, and a woman who was struck in the ankle.
Both victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the police report, officers found security footage that showed what appeared to be a group of suspects on the Southeast corner of 11th and Pike Street. Police say the group of suspects located an “opposing solo male walking,” and began firing at him on the Southwest corner.
Police say the solo man returned gunfire at the group, and during the exchange of gunfire, the innocent bystanders were struck.
Several vehicles and buildings were also hit by bullets, with SPD officers collecting over 50 shell casings.
Bullet holes remained visible on buildings and a car at 11th and Pike on Sunday, serving as a reminder of the incident. One man who heard the shootout spoke to KIRO 7.
“Five… ten shots just real quick, just popping off as fast as that. Everybody scattered,” he remembered.
That same person, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed a sense of weary familiarity with the violence.
“It’s definitely not fun. Not too much goes through my head at this point. It’s not the first time. It’s just kind of like… oh damn. It happened again,” the Cap Hill resident said.
This recent incident follows another shootout in May near Broadway and Pike, where three men were injured. Seattle police reported that two of those injured in the May shooting were also innocent bystanders.
Despite the recurring violence, one resident noted the positive aspects of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, saying, “I mean, there is plenty of great businesses here. It’s fun to live by so many bars and have a great nightlife sort of thing, but you have to look around and be like, it’s not so much fun tonight.”
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