2 dead in south Seattle shooting

SEATTLE — Two people were shot and killed in the Rainier Beach neighborhood on Memorial Day weekend.

The shooting happened Saturday around 6:20 p.m. in the Safeway Parking lot at the 9600 block of Rainier Avenue South.

This comes after a high school student was shot and killed about a block away on Mother's Day.

People in the neighborhood say the parking lot is a big problem spot, and they're hoping this latest tragedy will be the one to change it.

“Get it cooking, you feel me?” said Tre Wilson, who also goes by Chris, in a video. His friend Edward Perryman shot his video last week, while Wilson was cooking at restaurant Catfish Corner.

“Everyone knows Catfish Corner. People laughing, people see Chris in the back cooking, people know him, you know?” Perryman said.

Saturday evening, Seattle police said a large group of people were in the parking lot when a disturbance broke out.

Then -- gunshots.

“I would say it was about six,” said Erin Goodman, the chair of the South Precinct Advisory Council to Seattle police. She was in the neighborhood and heard the gunshots.

Police say the group scattered. Only the two victims who were shot remained. Both men were rushed to Harborview Medical Center but were pronounced dead.

“I'm trying my hardest not to cry right now,” Perryman said. He said he’s been friends with Wilson most of his life.

He said the area—specifically the Safeway and liquor store parking lot—is a hotspot for trouble.

“This is where the chill spot is, and everybody knows. And that's why so much stuff happens here,” Perryman said.

The day after the murders on Sunday, while Seattle police were parked nearby, another large crowd gathered.

Cars did donuts in the parking lot, spewing smoke.

“No one is even supposed to be outside!” Perryman said. “It's crazy how many people have lost their life right here in this area. And it's like when does it stop?”

Goodman also said the parking lot is a major trouble area for the community. She said the volume of violence in the Rainier Beach neighborhood is numbing the community.

“It becomes part of our every day, and that's not OK,” Goodman said. “Right now, our whole community is tense. The shut down, all of this. We're all dealing with stress levels much higher than usual. That comes out, and that's very concerning."

Wilson was in his mid--30’s. People at the scene said the other victim was a young man in his early 20’s.

These latest murders have people calling for more security or police presence in the area.

“They come here when the tragedy happens, but what happens before the tragedy?” Perryman said.

Just two weeks ago, a high school senior with a bright future – Connor Dassa-Holland - was shot and killed one block away while in his car.

He had been accepted to 19 colleges and was about to start at the University of Washington.

Police are looking for information on all three murder cases.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police Department’s Violent Crimes tip line at 206-233-5000.

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