At a community outreach event in Seattle, a shooting resulted in five individuals being injured, with two in critical condition.
The incident, which took place on Friday night, July 28, erupted in the parking lot of a former King Donuts and involved dozens of rounds being fired, possibly by at least two shooters, according to the local police.
The Rainier Valley parking lot was the site of a peaceful community outreach gathering for food and services until gunshots rang out just before 9 p.m. Seattle Police Chief, Adrian Diaz, was quick to respond to the incident, and said, “We know that there were dozens and dozens of rounds that were fired.”
Four victims were rushed to a nearby hospital following the shooting. According to police, a man and a woman, both in their 20s, were critically injured, while two other men in their 20s were in stable condition. A fifth victim, a man in his 30s, was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The victims were all participants of the community outreach event which was abruptly disrupted by the violence. As of now, the cause behind the shooting remains unclear and no suspects have been identified or arrested.
In response to the incident, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell referred to it as a “tragedy,” vowing to provide answers to the shaken community. Speaking at the scene, he lauded the spirit of the community, stating, “People that come from these streets, that come from this community, are protecting the community – literally putting their lives on the line.”
He also addressed the larger issue at hand, saying, “That’s the tragedy of today – of too many guns in the wrong places, in the wrong hands.”
