Violence breaks out around several Seattle parks during Memorial Day weekend

SEATTLE — One man is dead and two teens are shot after violence breaks out at and around several Seattle parks Memorial Day weekend.

Two of those shootings happened in problem areas where the City has already taken action in hopes of curbing illegal behavior. Despite the change, both of those areas and two more parks heard gunshots in the last two days

“It’s awful. it’s a reminder,” Michael Anderson said. 

He lives near Lincoln Park, where one of the shootings happened.

That reminder is a bullet hole in his front window. It’s of just how close that stray bullet came to Michael Anderson and his family.

“My wife and I were sitting out on our little steps here. we heard a couple of shots. we thought they might be firecrackers,” Michael said.

Then, they heard more shots.

“As we were running inside we heard a bullet hit our house,” Anderson said. “I heard it hit the window first and then heard a wiz as it went between us. We could have been hit. it was a game of inches and a matter of seconds.”

That bullet pierced the window, the curtain, and another wall, and came to a stop after it hit the back of their bedroom TV. It’s the same TV their 8-year-old daughter fell asleep watching.

“We pulled the TV off the wall when the police came and the bullet fell down and hit the floor.  To think that that TV was hung where it was probably saved my daughter. It’s hard to process,” said Anderson.

No one in Michael’s home was hurt, but they’re still on edge.

Seattle Police said a teen was shot in the Lincoln Park parking lot just before midnight They believe the group had a party there and that lead up to the shots.  About two hours before that shooting, around 10 p.m. someone fired rounds at Golden Gardens. That’s one of the beaches Seattle Parks and Rec cut hours to curb gun violence. Police didn’t find a victim or shooter, but investigators did find shell casings.

Those three violent outbreaks all happened a day after a Magnuson Park shooting Friday night left another teen fighting for their life. That shooting happened around 11 p.m.

“There’s parties all the time at Lincoln Park. It’s unfortunate that kids can’t have parties and have some sort of violence happen that goes along with it,” said Anderson.

Police haven’t made arrests in any of those four weekend shootings but ask anyone with information to call the violent crime tip line at 206-233-5000.

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