Seattle's flagship McDonald's closes over safety concerns following nearby fatal shooting

The flagship McDonald's in downtown Seattle has reportedly closed because they cannot guarantee the safety of their employees and customers.

The restaurant was closed without notice Monday following a violent weekend in the area. Jonathan Choe of KOMO News reported that he had received a statement Monday from David Santillanes, the franchise owner/operator that read: "My top priority is the health and safety of our employees and customers. Out of concern for the safety of our employees and customers, we temporarily closed our restaurant located at 1530 Third Avenue following last week’s shooting."

"We continue to support the local police department with their investigation into the ongoing violence in our neighborhood, and we will reopen the restaurant when we believe it is safe to do so," Santillanes continued in the statement.

The news came a day after Piroshky Piroshky owner Olga Sagan told KOMO they are closing their location just a few blocks away from McDonald's at 3rd Ave and Pike St. because the area is no longer safe for her employees.

"We have been patiently communicating with a city for the last 6 months, but things only getting worse. We feel that city has abandoned downtown and not treating this crisis (both humanitarian and criminal) as an emergency. All we hear is them talking and no action."

Piroshky Piroshky only reopened its downtown location six months ago after it was closed for over a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since reopening, Sagan told the outlet that people have threatened customers outside the store and some people have exposed themselves to employees.

On Sunday, Seattle police responded to reports of a shooting at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street and found a man with gunshot wounds in the 300 block of Pine Street.

Officers and Seattle Fire Department medics attempted lifesaving measures, but the man was declared deceased at the scene. Law enforcement have not yet released any information on a possible suspect or motive.

The stretch of 3rd Avenue has been known for years for open air drug use, sales of stolen merchandise, as well as needles and trash scattered all of the street and sidewalks.

Hundreds of businesses have fled Seattle citing the spiking crime and the inability or unwillingness of the city to do anything about it. Seattle police have seen so many officers leave the force that the department is operating well below the minimal staffing levels necessary to ensure public safety.

According to KOMO News, this is the sixth fatal shooting SPD has responded to so far this year. Last week, a man was shot in the face at the same intersection. There have been no arrests to date in connection to last week's shooting.