WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire in Lincoln Park

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | West Seattle police

Police are in Lincoln Park investigating gunfire – reports that were called in to 911, and gunfire officers heard themselves while headed to check out those reports. Per radio dispatch, they’re looking for teenage suspects and at least one weapon, with multiple guns reported to have been fired. No report of injuries. A K9 team has been summoned to join the search. (added) An officer reported to dispatch that he found 9mm casings in a trash can at the park. (added) Now officers report finding an unspecified different type of casings. They also report having detained one person while seeking six more, described only as four males, two females.

RabidNemo May 5, 2019 (4:59 am)

I thought I heard gunshots earlier. Didn’t call it in as I thought it was a backfire/fireworks :( it was five rapid shots in succession

JSMRV May 5, 2019 (9:13 am)

Thank you west seattle blog for always keeping us up to date. We live across from Lincoln Park and we were woken up by the sounds of the cop sirens and looked outside our window and saw a bunch of cop cars with their lights on driving up and down Fauntleroy and then sitting in the park and our side streets around 1:15 am. I immediately checked this site. My husband and I absolutely love west seattle, the beauty, the community and comrade. However, as of late we have been disturbed by the increase in crime taking place literally outside of our front door. We find it comforting to know we are not alone in our love and passion for the city, and appreciate the great comrade of the community. Does anyone know if there was a follow up to this incident last night? I also want to thank the police for being so responsive.

Philip May 5, 2019 (10:08 am)

I had been hearing what sounded like a loud teenager party from near the south beach shelters at Lincoln park. Then I heard what sounded like semi-automatic pistol fire. I estimated nine bangs. They were very evenly spaced so I figured it wasn’t fireworks. Maybe four per second. I called it in. A while later, a couple minutes before I saw a police car arrive on the road in front of the south beach shelters, I heard about four more bangs, not evenly spaced. Those are probably what the officers heard. The beach shelters always become a rather noisy teenage party destination about this time of year, until the Seattle Police start sending a cruiser by after park closing. Why don’t teenage drunks just go to bars like normal people? Heh.

Matt P May 5, 2019 (4:19 pm)

Not knocking you, but you should call when you hear the party and not the gunfire. They’re not supposed to be there that late and the cops could have gotten to it before the shooting started.
momosmom May 5, 2019 (4:57 pm)

You ask—“Why don’t teenage drunks just go to bars like normal people? Heh. ‘.Because teenage drunks aren’t old enough to go bars like normal people.
- grocerylist May 6, 2019 (7:33 am)
  
  Whoosh
- brandon c swanson May 9, 2019 (11:46 am)
  
  Kiddo’s need to get with the program and get fake ID’s, dummies..

onion May 5, 2019 (10:55 am)

Isn’t Lincoln Park supposed to be closed overnight? Even without the gunfire, why were the partyers allowed to be there?

KM May 5, 2019 (2:25 pm)

As you can imagine, it would be very hard to wall off and lock Lincoln Park to physically keep out park visitors during park closure hours. Accessibility doesn’t imply permission.

Jim P. May 5, 2019 (12:11 pm)

Long past time to start charging these kids under federal law when found with handguns. Minors are absolutely prohibited from possession of handguns except under direct adult supervision and certain, limited activities.If the local feds. won’t do it, time to put pressure on our representatives in Congress.All the additional gun control laws in the world will do nothing if there is no prosecution when existing laws are routinely violated with no consequences.Source: https://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2014/08/when-can-kids-legally-own-shoot-guns.html

St May 5, 2019 (1:39 pm)

Alki Beach was surprisingly very busy last night with a lot of pot smoking and alcohol being consumed. Police need to patrol more than just summer months and I will be letting them know.

Alki resident May 5, 2019 (2:38 pm)

We’re any crimes committed by these folks after smoking weed?
- Bradley May 5, 2019 (3:04 pm)
  
  Talk to any police officer and they will tell you that a very large percentage of suspects they arrest for malicious mischief, vandalism, graffiti, and traffic violations like speeding and reckless driving are under the influence of marujuana. Also, the signs all over Alki Beach and Lincoln Park list drug and alcohol use as prohibited. It’s illegal to use marijuana or alcohol ANYWHERE in public, period.
- St May 5, 2019 (4:04 pm)
  
  Doesn’t matter. Smoking weed and drinking alcohol outside like that is illegal. You also have to be 21 for both. Smoke weed and drink all you want just follow the law. I don’t care if people smoke weed or drink, I drink but don’t smoke.

Bradley May 5, 2019 (3:08 pm)

When I first moved to West Seattle 30 years ago I saw galvanized steel trash can lids at Lincoln Park by the table shelters with fresh bullet holes in them. Punks shooting-off their illegally-carried guns there is nothing new. SPD needs to be making frequent, random sweeps of that park at night in the warmer months.

TJ May 5, 2019 (6:13 pm)

Public weed smoking is common all over the city, but at Alki it is rampant. The police don’t do anything about it as I watched 2 officers walk by a large group of obvious underage kids blatantly smoking it one night last summer, which is 2 crimes, open smoking and being underage. I was for legalization, but not for complacent police to not enforce the law.

Jethro Marx May 5, 2019 (11:13 pm)

I, for one, think we ought to make being underage legal again. #MBULA
artsea May 6, 2019 (5:48 am)

Don’t blame the police. They are told which laws to enforce. Sadly. And, it frustrating for them too.

Lincoln Snark May 5, 2019 (8:39 pm)

I walk Lincoln Park almost every afternoon and often see minors hanging out in the sheltered picnic areas in the southern part of the park by the water. These kids are often smoking pot and drinking. I talked to another person who is there often and she said she has actually called the police several times but as far as I can tell, the police don’t regularly patrol this area. Please, if you see this happening, call the police. If enough of us call perhaps they will add a regular patrol. It’s not even about the partying because they’re usually pretty mellow (pot will do that) I just worry about them getting in their cars and hurting other people.

Scott Collins May 5, 2019 (11:21 pm)

Am I the only one that was struck by the fact that the casings were found in the garbage can? So it appears that our miscreants are at least not litterbugs?

bolo May 7, 2019 (3:45 pm)

Or trying to dispose of the evidence.

Philip May 6, 2019 (1:15 am)

Generally good comments, other than the one rather dictatorially telling me what I should do, which was mildly trollish, at least in presentation. He could have said, “I hope more neighbors will call the police when they hear parties at the park.” After Saturday night that will probably be a stronger community consensus. Yes, funny they weren’t litterbugs. And very deadpan, Momosmom (did I spell that backwards?), explaining that teens aren’t allowed in bars.

momosmom May 6, 2019 (9:02 am)

@Philip, I replied in so many words… they can’t, they are not of legal drinking age. your quote: ” Why don’t teenage drunks just go to bars like normal people? Heh”

dontbesouptight May 13, 2019 (2:22 pm)

r u really that clueless this has been goin on well since my mom was a teen she is 69 I also partied as a teen there had some of best times of my life there also my daughter and many friends used to go there and always had a blast. The focus needs to be on the guns and these kids should do hard time if caught with guns. now I carry a gun just to go to the park sign of the times hate to say