ORIGINAL 11:53 PM REPORT, which was headlined “Assault with weapons call …”: Happening right now in the 4700 block of California SW, and police have just called for backups for “crowd control.” 25 year old man shot at least twice. More to come.
11:57 PM UPDATE: Here’s what else we know; WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is on the scene and we are monitoring the scanner at HQ. Apparently the victim ran into Talarico’s after being shot. Police are looking for a white Lexus with a “black male and Hispanic male,” at least one armed with a “revolver.” Their “be on the lookout” broadcast says it was last seen heading “southbound” from the area. Christopher says California is blocked off in that block of The Junction, and that it’s a “madhouse” down there right now. According to the scanner, the victim is alert/conscious, and has at least two gunshot wounds – described by medics as in “the right axillary area” and in one arm.
12:16 AM UPDATE: Added photo from Christopher, who also says police have found “shell casings” – which is what they were looking for in the street, as shown above (and in this next photo, added later).
12:23 AM UPDATE: Yet more information from Christopher on the scene – the victim and suspect apparently were fighting outside Talarico’s before the victim was shot. At least two bullet shells were found on the ground, and Talarico’s exterior was believed to have been hit by at least one of the shots. The victim’s wounds are NOT believed to be life-threatening. Police now are not sure the white car in which the suspect got away was a Lexus as first reported – it might be something similar, like a Camry.
12:34 AM UPDATE: An official police update via phone from Officer Renee Witt in the Seattle Police media unit – she says THREE suspects are being sought (no further description of them or their vehicle, though) and also confirms that gunshots pierced Talarico’s front wall, adding that bullets reportedly lodged “in a couple of barstools.” No one hit/hurt other than the man shot outside, however.
12:42 AM UPDATE: Christopher reports that police believe the gun was 9mm. In the comment section, we have heard from Erin, who says she was inside Talarico’s when this happened, and since she is a nurse, tried to help the victim as best she could till help arrived. She says the wounds were in the armpit (axilla) and leg. Meantime, in an unrelated (but nearby) incident, police report via radio that they have just taken one person into custody in connection with an assault at Poggie Tavern (again, stressing it’s NOT related to the shooting).
12:56 AM UPDATE: More from Christopher, who was the first newsperson on the scene and is sending additional photos shortly: He saw 4 bullet casings in the middle of California and confirms that police found multiple bullet holes in the front facade of Talarico’s. Also, he reports, the person who shot the victim “ran through the pedestrian tunnel and got into a car there. Eyewitnesses said the victim was wearing a white shirt but that they saw no blood at all. Victim was screaming, ‘They shot me. I’m shot’.”
1:48 AM UPDATE: Still no word of arrests, nor an update on the victim’s condition – we’ll be checking again with police in a few hours. According to our archives, this is the first West Seattle shooting incident in more than four months in which someone has been hit/hurt (here’s the last one we reported). One interesting side note from Christopher at the scene: Police marked the bullet casings found in the street by using new electronic flares, which you can see in this photo:
From the scanner: Dispatcher was asked for description of the suspects and replied “black males with dreadlocks,” so that’s a possible update from info available earlier.
7:32 AM UPDATE: We have posted a separate followup – police have just announced that the victim did not survive.
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