WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Teenager injured in shooting

| Crime | West Seattle news

A 16-year-old boy is recovering at home after being shot in West Seattle, and his father is asking for help in the investigation.

It happened around 1 am Sunday near 34th SW and SW Trenton [map]. We didn’t hear about it until the victim’s father contacted us last night. There was no “assault with weapons” medical callout because friends drove the victim to the hospital. The police report we obtained today says that several people called 911 to report suspected gunfire; police found no victim, no shell casings, no blood. Then, about half an hour later, the investigating officer found out that a person with a shoulder wound had shown up at Harborview Medical Center, saying he had been shot at a party in West Seattle. The person whose house was the scene of the party told SPD he didn’t know anything about a shooting. The officer looked a second time and still found no physical evidence of a shooting in the area.

The victim’s father tells WSB that his son is believed to have been shot by someone who pulled up in a vehicle outside the party, opened fire, and left. No description information. The Gang Unit is following up, according to both the police report and the victim’s father, who says his son is not involved with gangs but the shooter is believed to be. If you have any information about the shooting, contact SPD and refer to case 2016-435767. (Anonymous tips can be sent this way.)

ltfd December 7, 2016 (6:37 pm)

Hmmm … your friend is shot, but instead of calling 911 to obtain a paramedic evaluation/treatment, you drive him to a hospital yourself … hmmm. Interesting. I guess the Einsteins involved didn’t know that medical care facilities report all gun shot wounds to the police anyway.

Jon December 7, 2016 (8:19 pm)

It’s also cost-prohibitive for a lot of people to ride in an ambulance. If the injury isn’t life-threatening, and if you can’t afford the transportation invoice, getting a ride is really the only option.

Still, they should’ve reported it.

hoss December 7, 2016 (8:01 pm)

The house where the party was being held, on the Southwest corner of Cloverdale & 34th, is a known nuisance property that has had multiple calls to the authorities on it in the past. We live on 34th right near this location and have had multiple issues/problems/complaints about the inhabitants of the house.

Earlier that night, around midnight, my wife called 911 because teenagers were all over the neighborhood, speeding up and down the street, being loud and drunk, and she had overheard an inebriated minor walk by our house exclaiming how he “didn’t want to kill himself”. Might be that if the police had followed up on this original call, the shooting may very well not have happened, for the house is inhabited by adults, who were throwing a very teenage party.

She heard three shots fired, a fight in the street, and the next morning we found a broken side mirror (among a copious amount of other trash strewn around the neighborhood – keg cups, beer bottles, food trash, etc) and when I arrived home from work around 2:30am I searched for shell casing and was also unable to find anything.

I wish there was a more accessible process to address nuisance properties such as this as this problem has been ongoing for a couple of years now. I obviously can’t say with any certainty that had previous issues been addressed this situation could have been avoided, but I also can’t rule it out and it strikes me that the voices of people who have to live near properties such as this have a hard time being heard.

WSB December 7, 2016 (8:31 pm)

Hoss – the police report does say something about police having been there early in the evening on a noise complaint.
- hoss December 7, 2016 (8:36 pm)
  
  Yes, my wife is on the phone with the police right now and they also confirmed that a patrol car was dispatched after the original call she made at Midnight. I do find it odd, however, that they missed or disregarded what was, at that time, a pretty raging party full of drunk teenagers.
  - Chaff December 8, 2016 (10:48 pm)
    
    So how is it that you know what the police regarded or disregarded, saw or didn’t see?

ScubaFrog December 7, 2016 (8:59 pm)

How scary. I hope the young man recovers 100%. And I hope that the shooters are arrested/convicted.

I’m thinking back to when I was 16. When there were tons of shootings on Hilltop and certain parts of Seattle at that time. I hope we never regress back into those dark days.

He’s too young to be thrust into the trauma of being shot at (at any age, but at 16 gees).

Anyhow, prayers and good thoughts to the victim and his family.

Greg December 8, 2016 (1:58 am)

I hope he recovers as well and the shooter is caught as they most likely will repeat. Seattle has a great economy currently which hinders crime but I fear when it slows down that more gun crimes etc will start to emerge.

RL December 8, 2016 (7:33 am)

The house in question is a known drug house – always new “tenants”, brief visits at all hours by strange people, disturbances, odd security measures like a padlocked front gate. It’s a shame there isn’t anything that can be done to oust the people, as it’s really a blight on an otherwise nice neighborhood.

liveinthearea December 8, 2016 (9:22 am)

this house a very well known party & drug house, they put tarps up this day/night so no one could see inside their yard that night. Also them and their party friends TRASHED WHOLE neighborhood. Dogs are also neglected too. This shooting probably wouldn’t of happened if authorities more on top of it, as the community has made complaints etc. Hope kid ok, but story kind of sketchy.

A Neighbor December 8, 2016 (10:08 am)

Is there any way to get those neighbors OUT? They are a nuisance, with their extremely unpleasant dogs, people, transients, piles and constant scattering of garbage, junk cars – and on and on. Isn’t there anything that can be done. And now they have a big blue plastic tarp over a portion of their chain link fence. I’m happy to not have to see them and their mess of a property, but the blue tarp leaves something to desired as well. Is there no recourse against such an eyesore and now actual danger?

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