WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire heard, evidence found

| Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Sometimes what sounds like gunfire turns out to be fireworks – or something else – unless evidence is found, such as casings and/or property damage. What you see above is evidence. A neighbor shared the photo and this report from Highland Park:

Last night at around 9:45 pm, we heard load gunshots near our house on 10th and Elmgrove [map] and a car speeding away. We called 911 as did some of our neighbors. This morning my husband found bullet casings in the intersection, underneath the 10th and Elmgrove sign. He called the police again; they came out, collected the bullets, and took his statement.

We are feeling very rattled today. Even though we live near some dangerous spots like 16th and Holden, we’ve never had gunshots this close to our home. This street (10th Ave SW) is home to lots of kids and Highland Park Elementary.

If you saw something related to this and haven’t reported it – you can call police at 206-625-5011 and refer to incident 17-097562. And if you hear what you think is gunfire anywhere, even if you’re not sure where it’s coming from, call 911 to report it ASAP – the more calls they get, the better the chances of finding evidence, a suspect, and/or … if there is one … a victim. (Consider then letting us know for Crime Watch, as this neighbor did.)

P.S. SPD’s SeaStat data reviews track “shots fired” around the city to look for trends; the last page of this slide deck from the most-recent briefing shows that confirmed gunfire incidents are up slightly citywide so far this year, compared to last.

newnative March 20, 2017 (3:39 pm)

The way the story reads is that the neighbors called 911 when they heard the gun shots and the police didn’t come until the husband found the casings the next day? That is not comforting.

WSB March 20, 2017 (3:48 pm)

The incident/report number I included above is from last night’s dispatch, so yes, police were sent last night. – TR
- newnative March 20, 2017 (3:53 pm)
  
  Oh, thanks. I didn’t read it that way.

d March 20, 2017 (4:12 pm)

What do you mean dangerous I live on 16th and Holden it’s been like almost a month-and-a-half since there’s been lots of gunshots lol

Seattlite March 20, 2017 (4:36 pm)

How terrifying for you and your neighbors. These types of criminals that shoot guns in residential areas or any area are extremely dangerous and extremely stupid and should not be free to roam civilized streets. Are there any cameras in your area that might have photographed or videoed the car or criminals?

Anonymous March 20, 2017 (6:33 pm)

On early Saturday morning (3/18/17), at around 3:35am I woke up to 4 gunshots. I’m going to add to the incident report 17-097562 shortly. It woke me up and my dogs started barking. It was in that direction, but sounded like it could have been closer. We are at 8th & SW Henderson.

Anonymous Too March 20, 2017 (8:21 pm)

I also called 911 and reported gunshots near 20th and Henderson on this same morning around 3:45 am. Saturday night of the previous week (3/11) I called reported gunshots around 11:30 as well.

Highlandparkster March 20, 2017 (9:07 pm)

Pretty typical night around here. Glad the police came out to collect the shells. Not a big fan of the party, and gunfire scene on our streets down here in HP. Rarely do you see a police cruiser on my street. We are right near 16th and Holden.

Seems like we earn our hood stigma down here.

TS March 21, 2017 (11:46 am)

I woke up to an automatic firing about 7 rounds at 245 this morning in my alley, Hudson behind Delridge…thank goodness no one was hurt. Police were there counting the shell casings but I didn’t see anything on here about it.!

WSB March 21, 2017 (11:58 am)

Nobody texted – 206-293-6302 any time! Just heard about it this morning so it’ll be in the next Crime Watch.
- TS March 21, 2017 (1:28 pm)
  
  Thank you…I probably could’ve rotated my photo, oops!
  - WSB March 21, 2017 (1:45 pm)
    
    We have a bit of a bug in the upload-image-to-comment feature … some photos look sideways on desktop and right-ways-up on mobile, or vice versa. Haven’t sorted that one out yet, sorry. Most photos taken with the phone horizontal, button on the right, will come out OK … but, I say, MOST. Still looking for the report, meantime.
deek March 21, 2017 (2:00 pm)

I’m on 32nd SW. Think I heard those shots b/c the time is very similar. I called 9/11. Wondering when the cops arrived at the scene.
AF March 21, 2017 (11:39 pm)

I heard those too- many of us called at 2:45. 15 feet outside my bedroom, luckily our garages provide some shielding. 2 of my neighbors’ cars and another neighbor’s garage got hit by the 6 bullets in front of our 6 attached garages (4800 block of Cottage Place which is an alley.) Police took report from 1 car owner at 3am, tried to reach other owner but left before he answered his front door. We are waiting for police to come back tonight to talk w. all of us. Found 1 shell near one of the cars. Incident # 2017-99086. We will be asking for more patrols as this neighborhood escalates and for cameras on light posts (long shot I know).
- WSB March 21, 2017 (11:49 pm)
  
  I asked for the narrative from this report but as of day’s end SPD media told me it was still being transcribed, so should be available tomorrow. Did anyone from your neighborhood come to the Crime Prevention Council tonight? I don’t think anybody identified themselves as being from Delridge … it really is a wide-open opportunity every month to surface concerns, ask questions, etc. and tonight was an underutilized opportunity overall IMO … Police leadership and community-police-team officers also are usually at the Block Watch Captains Network meeting (you don’t have to be a captain or even in a Block Watch) which is fourth Tuesdays – so next week – 6:30 pm, also at the precinct. – TR