SEATTLE — Another wild shootout took place on Aurora Avenue North on Friday. A viewer shared a surveillance video that captures all the chaos on camera where people inside two cars near 96th Street fire dozens of shots at each other. The person who shared the video and city leadership believes the shooting is tied to the area’s prostitution problem.
“Well it shocks me and I’m not scared of much, but it makes me think twice,” Steve Freitas, Manager of nearby business New Standard Building Materials said.
Freitas says this is the first time he has personally seen this sort of violence that close to his store. He says when it comes to gun violence and prostitution, he wishes more would be done by the city.
“They’ve said how they’re gonna enforce this area and try to stop some of these things that are happening and happening and prostitution,” Freitas said.
This isn’t the first wild shootout caught on camera on Aurora Avenue in recent months. A shootout back in June caught on camera shows several people firing automatic and semi-auto weapons at each other. Several vehicles had windows blown out from the gunfire.
“And quite frankly I am just getting to the point where I am losing my patience,” District 5 Councilmember Cathy Moore said.
KIRO 7 caught up with Councilmember Moore at City Hall Tuesday about the shooting. She says the Stay Out of Area Prostitution Law, or SOAP, cracks down on the sex trade in areas where it’s specifically a problem. During our conversation with Moore, she said Seattle Police aren’t properly enforcing that new law.
“We have the laws and tools in place. Let us use them. Let’s declare an emergency on Aurora gun violence. We need to deal with it now,” Councilmember Moore said.
KIRO 7 reached out to SPD about Moore’s comments. Sgt. Michaud with SPD said through email “To put it in perspective, we continue to do things like ‘John stings’ as we have the resources. The Seattle Police Department is in the middle of a well-documented staffing crisis with the North Precinct being one of the harder-hit areas in terms of staffing issues due to its overwhelming size and geography.”
Those who live and work off Aurora Avenue North say they will believe things are changing when they see it.
“Let’s get going on it. You have the business support. We are behind you 100% if you want to do something. We are willing to do our part, it’s time for you to do your part in my opinion,” Freitas said.