Updates: Fatal shooting at 59th/Admiral

8:50 PM SUMMARY: 59th is still closed at the scene, according to neighbors who have left comments on this post. Police have not updated their official information since 6 pm, so as far as we know, the killer is still on the loose. Regarding one comment asking whether this was random — the Seattle Police spokesman said in an earlier interview that it was not; the killer and victim were in the same car and so apparently knew each other. The P-I mentions one small additional detail – the victim is believed to have been in his 30s. We are continuing to monitor all available sources of information and will add details here as we get them.

Earlier coverage below:

ADDED AT 6:13 PM: Scene photos – we added the white arrow to the first one, to point out the black car at/in which the shooting took place. Latest information, from our first update to our most recent one, below the photos:

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ORIGINAL 4:12 PM POST: A police search is under way in the Schmitz Park area — we don’t have details yet but online 911 dispatch says it’s an “assault with weapons” incident at 59th/Admiral. More to come. 4:50 PM UPDATE: A few more details on the P-I site: they quote the Fire Department as saying a man was taken to the hospital after being shot “a couple of times,” apparently inside a car. 4:55 UPDATE: In the comments, Tom says an officer “with a riot gun” has been at 57th & Hanford for a while. Thank you! 5:05 PM UPDATE: Very brief TV report says no one is under arrest yet, and says the victim and suspect were apparently together in a car described as a black Nissan. 6 PM UPDATE: TV says the victim died at the hospital. Had been shot at least twice in the chest. 6:15 PM UPDATE: We now have information directly from Seattle Police confirming that the victim is dead and that the killer is not in custody, though homicide detectives and CSI members “remain on the scene.”

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF SHOOTING AFTERMATH, POSTED EARLIER AT 5:25 PM: This report from reader “Soosan,” elaborating on what she mentioned in comments:

I stumbled upon the scene today heading home from a run. Walking up 59th from the beach, got to Admiral and a police car stopped right across the street, cops came out guns drawn to approach a black car with the driver side window glass blown out.

Basically the scene was between me and home (I live on Genesee Hill) so I didn’t have much choice but to walk a little closer and then try to get quickly out of the way.

There were two bikers there, and a guy in a red SUV, all kind of stunned and watching.

The guy in the driver’s seat of the car did not look good…head lolling back, clearly had been shot. I turned to walk up Hanford, thinking to myself, “Uh-oh, I wonder where the shooter is.”

At the top of Hanford (where it dead-ends at the park) another police car sped up and stopped, there was a dad-and-kid hanging out there and the cop quickly told them to get back in their house, pulled out a supersize gun and headed into the park. I turned to keep trying to get home and a little later the same police car drove up the street.

It was one of my quickest walks ever up that very steep hill.

17 Replies to "Updates: Fatal shooting at 59th/Admiral"

  • Rhonda Porter October 13, 2007 (4:39 pm)

    I know some kids play with their “air soft” (plastic bb guns) in Schmitz Park…I hope that’s all this is.

  • JayDee October 13, 2007 (4:40 pm)

    At 4:35 PM I saw two units, one “unmarked” and one squad car at the entrance to Schmitz Park off Admiral, and a second unit parked at the intersection of Hanford and 57th.

    -JayDee

  • soosan October 13, 2007 (4:45 pm)

    Sadly, it isn’t. A guy was shot in his car at the corner of Admiral and 59th. Saw it as I was heading home from a run.

  • Tom Ahearn October 13, 2007 (4:53 pm)

    The PI has more details. We’ve had an officer with a riot gun standing in the intersection of 57th & Hanford for the last hour.

  • Rhonda Porter October 13, 2007 (5:21 pm)

    Oh no…that’s too bad.

  • carraignasplinkeen October 13, 2007 (5:49 pm)

    Does anyone know if they found the shooter? We live nearby and just passed on our way home a bit ago-glad school wasn’t in session!
    Thanks WSB for the news–this was the first place we looked!

  • WSB October 13, 2007 (6:00 pm)

    Not as of this point. We did finally get a team member out to look in person, still a lot of police out looking for the shooter, we will have some pics up shortly.

  • SeaJim October 13, 2007 (7:01 pm)

    What’s the scoop? What’s the latest? Can anyone describe the victim?

  • WSB October 13, 2007 (7:17 pm)

    Police promised another update around 7 pm so we will be calling for that shortly. Otherwise, there hasn’t been any new information since the confirmation that the victim died and that the search for the killer was still under way. The only descriptive information we have heard about either one is that both were male. We are watching other media coverage of this as well, and nobody else has anything more than that as of this writing.

  • SeaJim October 13, 2007 (7:23 pm)

    I was down at Alki this afternoon and got this weird vibe. Not trying to sound psychic nor psycotic but just seemed like something was going to happen with some of the characters down along the beach. As I headed back home, i ran into the police at 59th. it was a strange feeling nonetheless.

  • cathy woo October 13, 2007 (8:07 pm)

    We live a few houses from the shooting.

    As I was heading out for an afternoon “Alki Beach Walk” aboaut 4:15, there were all kinds of police cars blocking the intersection of 59th and Admiral. At first I assumed it was another of our many car accidents. But I was shocked to learn that someone had been shot. Apparently he had been sitting in his car which was parked on the street. Someone drove up and shot him through the car window.

    They were just putting the victim into the aid car. He was still alive at the time and I thought he was going to be fine.

    When I got back from my walk two hours later our street was still blocked off. There were news trucks and TV cameras and reporters everywhere. No one can get in or out because of the polic investigation.

    I also heard there was an officer with a machine gun(?)/automatic weapon stationed outside of Schmitz Park. Amazing.

    I do have more info, but it is mostly rumor and speculation. Better to wait and see what details are confirmed. Especially since there was a fatality.

    This is usually a very safe neighborhood. But there is always the concern that Alki Beach, beautiful as it is, sometimes attracts a tough crowd. Let’s hope this is just an isolated incident.

    If I had had my wits about me I would have taken some photos. But I was too freaked to even think about it.

  • dq October 13, 2007 (8:34 pm)

    we live in this area too and 59th is still closed between Admiral and Spokane.

  • SeaJim October 13, 2007 (8:46 pm)

    Any updates? A previous post states another car pulled up and fired, and the original story was the shooting occurred in the car. Any description of the shooter? Is it a random shooting? I live in the area and would like some more info.

  • cathy woo October 13, 2007 (10:17 pm)

    My info about the shots being fired from someone who drove by – supposedly on a motorcycle – is from a neighbor witness. But that doesn’t mean it is true. Very likely, the confusion of the moment caused more than one story to come out.

    In any event, everything that I have heard is that it wasn’t a random shooting.

  • Meg October 15, 2007 (9:04 am)

    Does anyone know if they ever caught the shooter?

  • WSB October 15, 2007 (9:23 am)

    Police have reported no arrests. Also the victim has not been publicly identified yet. We will post an update later today with whatever else we can find out.

  • Em October 17, 2007 (3:51 pm)

    I heard there was a 17 yr old that’s been arrested. I am curious if anyone has more information. ??? I drove past the incident on Sat before the police arrived. I didn’t want to be a rubber-necker since it looked like a crime scene but I didn’t witness it so I went home. I live a block from the scene and have a small child so if anyone has information on this crime, I’d love to hear. I am new to the area and thought this was a safe place. Thanks.

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