Avoid California south of Morgan Junction for a while

Big fire/police response right now because of a report of “assault with weapons” at 7010 California. From the scanner traffic we just heard, though, sounds like it may have been fatal but NOT a crime; however, what’s overheard on the scanner is never considered to be an official report, so, keeping that in mind, know that police will keep investigating. 7:35 PM ADDENDUM: Photo of all the police units filling Cali in front of this apartment building (right across from Caffe Ladro, if you are having trouble placing it). The major fire units were starting to leave while our camera-carrying team member was there, which would seem to align with the report of this involving a death rather than a life-saving situation:

k October 22, 2007 (8:47 pm)

any updates?? this is entirely too close to home! hope all is ok. can’t find anything online except what you have reported and the 911 call.

WSB October 22, 2007 (9:21 pm)

if it was indeed a suicide, you probably won’t find anything anywhere else, ever, they’re generally seldom reported in the media — unless there’s some additional unusual circumstance such as the guy who jumped off The Bridge earlier this month after the armed confrontation at his mental health practitioner’s office on Queen Anne — in this case, the fact a major street in a business district had heavy police/fire activity for a time, made it “hyperlocalnewsworthy” regardless of the cause. Next thing we are likely to hear about this will be the medical examiner death reports, tomorrow or beyond, which do mention whether deaths were suicide, homicide, accidental, etc. We’re going to go run by the scene to check if the street is clear yet.

que October 22, 2007 (9:31 pm)

It is clear, I just drove through there about 25 minutes ago.

WSB October 22, 2007 (9:42 pm)

Thanks, Que, you just saved a little carbon out of the air :) That would be yet further circumstantial evidence no crime was involved; no way they would be clear within two hours if it were a crime scene – also the Seattle Police media update line has “no new updates” on anything, another “good” sign at least for worried people in the area.

que October 22, 2007 (9:57 pm)

Glad that I caught you before you headed out… ;-)

k October 22, 2007 (10:57 pm)

sad.

que October 22, 2007 (11:26 pm)

Very much so.

k October 23, 2007 (3:52 pm)

any further info on this? not sure where to look to find out more info on something like this.

WSB October 23, 2007 (4:15 pm)

The Medical Examiner’s daily update recording lists a 59-year-old man having shot and killed himself in Seattle sometime in the past 24 hours. Unfortunately, the update does not list specific locations, so we can’t say for sure if this is the same person; no one with that name listed in public databases at the same address, but of course the person involved wouldn’t necessarily have had to live at the same location where it happened. We hope to soon be able to figure out a way to get time to check police reports (has to be done in person) which will also reveal more details on things like this.

ANONY October 23, 2007 (11:04 pm)

I was at Ladro tonight. I overheard an SPD officer tell another Ladro patron that, “…a young man took his life…”.

So I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same person (re: 59yr old)….

WSB October 23, 2007 (11:07 pm)

Thanks. The medical examiner update had an unusual amount of cases listed as “cause and manner of death pending,” all ages, so perhaps you’re right, and the 59-y-o was some other unfortunate soul who committed suicide elsewhere in the city on the same day.

Sorry, comment time is over.