17-year-old boy killed in 3rd deadly Seattle shooting in 24 hours, no suspects in custody

The latest killing happened near Elliott Avenue and Bell Street, at the waterfront gateway used by cruise passengers arriving at and departing from Seattle. By Monday morning, city workers were cleaning blood from the area as cruise passengers arrived, with some appearing shocked by the scene.

According to the Seattle Police Department, dispatchers received reports of the shooting shortly after 11:44 pm Sunday.

Officers arrived and found the 17-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound. Police provided emergency aid until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived, but despite lifesaving efforts, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 21-year-old man was also found suffering from a gunshot wound and transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

Police said an altercation occurred shortly before the shooting. No suspect has been arrested.

During a Monday media availability, Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles said detectives were still trying to determine whether the latest killing involved gang or group violence. “We are also putting together the case on that one to see what occurred, what happened, to make sure that wasn't a group or gang violence situation,” Sayles said.

The shooting capped an exceptionally violent stretch in Belltown that left three people dead and three others wounded in three separate incidents in roughly 24 hours.

The first erupted shortly after 12:42 am Sunday around Third Avenue, Denny Way and Clay Street. One man was shot in the chest and later died, while another was shot in the abdomen and hospitalized. A third man later arrived at Harborview with a gunshot wound. Sayles said Monday that investigators believe two people assaulted another individual before gunfire was exchanged. SPD is working with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to determine what occurred.

Sayles also corrected SPD's initial report that a fourth person, a woman, had been shot.

“She was not struck by gunfire,” Sayles said. “That was one of the individual's girlfriend. She just had blood on her clothing from helping that person get to the hospital.”

Less than 90 minutes after the first shooting, a woman was shot multiple times while sitting inside a parked vehicle near Third Avenue and Blanchard Street. She later died at Harborview.

Sayles revealed Monday that investigators now have “a person or persons of interest” in that killing and said detectives are using witness accounts and footage captured by the city's Real Time Crime Center cameras.

Police say all three Belltown shootings were separate incidents.

The weekend's bloodshed also renewed scrutiny of illegal street takeovers after street racing occurred before the first Sunday shooting. Police say the takeover and shooting were not connected, but residents have complained that the gatherings are a recurring problem in Belltown.

Sayles said SPD is using social media intelligence and working with other law enforcement agencies to combat the takeovers. He said police have made arrests and impounded vehicles in previous cases. “Sometimes we're half a second late,” Sayles said. “That is my word to the city that we're going to make sure we're here and do what we need to do in those street takeovers.”

Asked whether the West Precinct was overwhelmed while responding to the weekend's street takeover, Sayles said, “That's something I have to look at," adding that if staffing was overwhelmed, “We will do what we need to do as a department to make sure that they're not overwhelmed.”

SPD plans to increase patrols and bike patrols, work with businesses and use its Community Response Group and Gun Violence Reduction Unit. Sayles said officers are also focusing on people police refer to as known “trigger pullers” and working with prosecutors to build cases against them.

But when asked whether the department's approach following three deadly shootings was actually different from what SPD was already doing, Sayles said, “I don't think it's different.”

He pointed to officers' response times, saying police were only blocks away when the shootings occurred. “It's one of those instances where we respond to violence on a daily basis,” he said. “It's not like we can be there and stop it, but our goal is to be there and stop it.”

“We just got to tweak a few things,” Sayles added.

When pressed about residents who say the current approach isn't working, Sayles defended his officers, saying they were “doing stellar and fantastic work” and “showing up every day running towards violence.”

The Belltown violence comes just six weeks after three people were killed and four others wounded, including a toddler, in the July 26 mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle, only blocks away at Seattle Center. Sayles said investigators have found no connection between the Bite shooting and any of the three Belltown incidents.

A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged in connection with the Bite shooting, but investigators are still working to identify others involved. Asked Monday about the search for additional suspects, Sayles said detectives are continuing to review approximately 450 hours of video. “It's video that's really piecing things together,” Sayles said. “So as they work through that we're going to make some headway on that and hopefully make some arrests here soon.”