Update: High Point shooting ‘accidental,’ police now say

6:40 PM: Police and fire are responding to 32nd and Juneau in High Point, where a female victim – possibly a teenager – has reportedly been shot in the leg, possibly from a passing car, according to initial scanner traffic. More as we get it.

6:52 PM UPDATE: Police on the scene confirm to WSB that the victim is a girl “in her mid-teens” with a leg wound. They are still trying to sort out the circumstances. Meantime, scanner traffic from the medic unit crew describe the victim as 15 years old and quote her as saying “she only heard one shot.”

7:06 PM UPDATE: From the scanner – police are talking with some people and trying to find out if they were involved. Our crew at the scene is close to where this questioning is happening, about a block from the shooting scene. WSB archives show this is the first shooting investigated in West Seattle in 2 months, since the Admiral murder-suicide shootings.

7:53 PM UPDATE: Our crew says police have now handcuffed the male who was being questioned (caveat, that does not ALWAYS mean an official arrest, we will be working to confirm with police). Police also are impounding/towing a car in which a source tells us the victim and possible suspects all may have been (photo to come when our crew is back at HQ). We aren’t likely to get an official update on the victim’s condition, but the medic-unit radio exchange earlier indicated that her vital signs were good.

9:36 PM UPDATE: New information from Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith, who says that two “young males” found near the shooting victim and claiming to be “bystanders” were “investigated further and revealed that it was an accidental discharge inside the car. The bullet was recovered from the floor of the car. Shooter and gun are outstanding. A possible second female victim, who was not located, had reportedly been grazed by the single shot also. It appears a group of young individuals were smoking drugs in the car handling the gun when it was discharged, striking 2 of the females.”

31 Replies to "Update: High Point shooting 'accidental,' police now say"

  • S December 27, 2011 (6:50 pm)

    Looking out my window right now. I have seen at least 10 police cars.

  • anotherwsmom December 27, 2011 (7:05 pm)

    Second shooting on that corner in two years.

  • warm body December 27, 2011 (7:18 pm)

    I used to be a contract security officer assigned to High Point a number of years ago. It was only a matter of time before this occurred, and this does not surprise me at all. Back then, by contract with SHA, even though we were fully trained and certified, we were not allowed to carry firearms. I really hope that policy has changed for whoever is running security now.

  • Andrea December 27, 2011 (7:21 pm)

    We live on that corner (20 years)–I don’t recall a previous shooting @ that same location. It’s the corner where teens beat up the officer about 3 years ago; no guns involved in that incident.

  • Mike December 27, 2011 (7:25 pm)

    Hope she’s alright, sounds like minimal wounds but still a gun shot wound. Hope SPD can catch the shooter before they do it again.

  • Ken December 27, 2011 (7:35 pm)

    I am pretty sure those of us who live within a half block of this location are really glad the local rent-a- cops do not carry guns.

    There are just as many doctors, lawyers, professional gardeners, retired people and real estate sales professionals as their are freakin loons with guns in that neighborhood.

  • High Point resident December 27, 2011 (7:52 pm)

    I live in High Point and generally love it here. We love our neighbors and the sense of community. However I called the police a few weeks ago to report gun shots in the middle of the night. They sounded a few blocks away. This is really disappointing and scary. Our prayers go out to this girl and her family.

  • JayJayB December 27, 2011 (7:52 pm)

    I live right up the block from this and am really shocked. When the new Highpoint opened we had alot of problems at first but it seemed over the last few years that the SHA had weeded quite a few of the bad peeps. I guess I was mistaken or maybe naive.

  • Lola P December 27, 2011 (7:54 pm)

    Highpoint today is not Highpoint three years ago. “Warm body” needs to take a drive through the area and update his/her knowledgebase.

  • Kayzel December 27, 2011 (8:00 pm)

    What Ken said. Some folks posting here are reacting on an outdated/exaggerated notion.

  • kelly reed December 27, 2011 (8:12 pm)

    I’m hoping this is near High Point and not IN High Point. As a resident, I don’t recognize the street in the picture. Wishful thinking?

  • JayJayB December 27, 2011 (8:29 pm)

    Kelly….it was in High Point….corner of Raymond and Lanham Place.

  • todd December 27, 2011 (8:50 pm)

    i came home just as the last police car was leaving. it happened right in front of my house @ 32nd and juneau. my neighbor said the police werent sure if that was even where she was shot.

    • WSB December 27, 2011 (9:46 pm)

      Just added new info to the story – the SW Precinct Lt. we had spoken with at the scene answered our followup question. Accidental shooting, happened inside the car. The “shooter,” however, is not reported in custody at this point. – TR

  • Jeff December 27, 2011 (9:47 pm)

    Just a reminder that guns are not toys, and should not be played with when stone cold sober, much less while taking any sort of drugs!

  • really? December 27, 2011 (9:58 pm)

    drugs + gun + bullets in gun, does NOT equal accident. and inside a car…all the better to ‘drive by’ with i am sure.

  • neni December 27, 2011 (10:18 pm)

    Remember that this can happen in any neighborhood. For some reason people always criticize High Point for any criminal activity when the same crimes happen in other neighborhoods.

  • ripper December 27, 2011 (10:25 pm)

    Accidental shooting, oh god. Darwinism lives!

  • NotMe December 27, 2011 (10:31 pm)

    Lol… Classic.

  • EIH December 27, 2011 (10:52 pm)

    there was one stupid kid with a gun, and noone else knew about the gun. he decided to be cool and reached into his girlfriends purse for the gun and discharged. he grazed his girlfriend and hit another young lady in the leg. him and his injured girlfriend run off and leave the wounded girl behind with the other two boys that didnt know there was a gun at all…

  • westseattledood December 27, 2011 (11:12 pm)

    Glad the girl(s) were not killed!! What stupidity! And I hope those kids in the car have been scared enough by this to straighten the h@ll up and get the “teachable moment”.

  • HelperMonkey December 28, 2011 (10:00 am)

    Derp! (seriously glad everyone’s ok, but really? DERP.)

  • Jim P. December 28, 2011 (2:56 pm)

    There are no accidental shootings: There are deliberate shootings and stupid shootings.

    Being drunk or stoned and in possession of a firearm needs to be made a felony even if the carrier is licensed.

    (And I am a Life member of the NRA so I can hardly be called anti-gun..grin)

  • Rick December 28, 2011 (6:29 pm)

    They stop being kids when they bring guns to their play dates. Now they are just criminals awaiting charges. This is not what I signed up for when I bought here. It seems that SHA needs to have their security be more agressive in their patrols as they were a feew years ago when there were probelms. Also enfrce the eviction policies for problem residences.

  • WTF December 28, 2011 (8:16 pm)

    High point = lipstick on a pig

  • Studly December 28, 2011 (8:21 pm)

    Accidental shooting?? Is the SPD Lt that naive or just misquoted?? Find out how they are connected to high point and then get them (and their relatives) evicted. And, make a felony arrest for illegal handgun possession. Was the gun to be used for a drive-by on our residents or some other unsuspecting innocents?

    • WSB December 28, 2011 (8:54 pm)

      “Studly,” the quote is from an e-mail exchange. Kind of hard to misquote someone when the Q/A is conducted in writing. As for “naive,” the final report and prosecutor’s decision on charges will certainly determine whether investigators’ preliminary determination of “accident” is borne out or not. The bullet was found in the car, according to Lt. Smith. The report narrative is not yet available online – that usually takes at least four days. SPD Blotter posted an update today (with the information that we obtained from Lt. Smith last night, plus one other detail, that gang detectives are investigating): http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2011/12/28/update-to-west-seattle-shooting-incident/ – TR

  • igh Point Homeowner December 29, 2011 (11:18 am)

    Its about high time that Seattle Housing Authority step up and hold the parents accountable for their children’s activities. Drugs were a big problem for High Point before the re-development and it appears now that it is creeping back. We all remember the incident with the near fatality of the policemen in High Point, the parents were not held accountable and the individuals involved were given a slap on the wrist. SHA Step up as we do not want our property values to go down again with more violent and gang related crimes in the neighborhood

  • neni December 29, 2011 (1:04 pm)

    What the Lt was saying (IMHO)is that the shooting was not intentional which would be considered an accident , definition( An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury). I’m quite sure his comment was not the end all to this investigation

  • bob December 30, 2011 (9:17 am)

    It is a darn shame they weren’t PLAYING with a grenade then the prosecutor wouldn’t have to worry his poor mind about whether to do his job or not.

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