Drive-by shooting at Seattle church leaves one dead, suspect still at large

The incident occurred shortly before 7:00 pm at the intersection of NE 47th Street and 17th Avenue NE, in the heart of the University District. According to a post on the University of Washington's emergency alert blog, the shooting happened near Pursuit Church NW, which was holding a large outdoor dinner and community gathering in its parking lot at the time.

Surveillance footage obtained by Frontlines journalist Jonathan Choe shows a suspect getting out of the rear passenger seat of a car and opening fire on the victim, identified by church members as Lebron Givuan, who was with his wife and son. The suspect jumped back in the rear seat of the car as the driver sped away. It is believed that the driver opened fire through the passenger window, breaking it in the process.

According to Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, a white Hyundai Elantra with black wheels and a “busted out front passenger window” pulled up to the event and fired on the victim. Police believe it was a targeted shooting. Pursuit leaders say he was a recent convert to Christianity, but may have been targeted because of his rough past. As of 7:43 pm on Thursday, police said there was no ongoing threat to the public, though no arrests had been made, and the suspect is still at large.

The church is located near student and fraternity housing, which triggered the university’s emergency alert system. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses said they heard “a ton” of shots being fired.

The suspect is described as a man in a black hoodie who fled eastbound in a white Hyundai Elantra with black wheels and a broken passenger-side window. Police later reported the vehicle may have continued northbound after the initial escape.

Pastor Russell Johnson wrote on X, "A man was murdered in front of his wife and son while walking into our church tonight. Not in Africa, not in China, not in the Middle East. In Seattle." He added in a follow-up post, "They turned the house of God into a crime scene. I am outraged."

Pastor Russel is now offering $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

The shooting occurred at an event at the Pursuit Church NW, a congregation that was previously targeted by Antifa during a Christian concert in May that ended in violence. That rally, part of the “#DontMessWithOurKids” campaign hosted by the group MAYDAY USA, was held at Cal Anderson Park and drew counterprotests from Antifa-affiliated militants and other left-wing activists. Organizers of the rally had aimed to promote values like “biological gender,” “freedom of religion,” and the “sanctity of life,” which critics labeled as provocations.

The May rally quickly devolved into chaos when radicals began throwing objects. According to Seattle Police, 23 people at the time were arrested, including 22 adults booked into the King County Jail. One juvenile was released after being taken into custody for obstruction. Several officers were assaulted, and church attendees reported being harassed and attacked.

Despite the violence, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell condemned not the attackers, but the Christians, suggesting their concert was meant to provoke a reaction in one of the city’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhoods, despite the group asking for a different location and instead sent to this specific park. “Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason, to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values,” Harrell said at the time.

In the days following, Pastor Russell Johnson of Pursuit Church demanded an apology, calling Harrell’s comments “bigoted” and accusing the city of giving Antifa a free pass. “Cops were hospitalized. Church people were assaulted. And the mayor has the audacity to blame Christians for the violence,” Johnson said. “The City of Seattle is plagued by chronically inept political leadership, and Mayor Harrell is no exception.” Later that week, hundreds of Christians rallied at city hall, calling for the mayor's resignation.

Harrell has been in city hall for over 15 years, first on the city council before becoming mayor. During that time, crime rates have increased dramatically.