UPDATE: 4 people shot on Alki, 1 killed

Michael June 29, 2021 (12:11 am)

Just saw two fire trucks and two police cars fly by on Beach Drive. Thanks for keeping us informed.

scubafrog June 29, 2021 (12:20 am)

Please please survive to the victims. What a tragedy beyond words. SPD and Paramedics arrived immediately, en masse. Great work all Emergency Responders.

Seriusly June 29, 2021 (12:27 am)

Shocking. I’m going to ask this, and please, I’m not trying to be snarky. Why do people come to the beach to do this kind of thing? I’m not trying to be naive, I just don’t understand the big picture.

WSB June 29, 2021 (12:33 am)

Because it’s a place to hang out? Alki also is uniquely uncloseable – unlike Golden Gardens, which is kind of a dead end, so access can be controlled, which is why this was recently announced there:
https://parkways.seattle.gov/2021/06/23/seattle-parks-and-recreation-to-pilot-new-opening-and-closing-hours-at-golden-gardens-park/
Seri*ously June 29, 2021 (12:32 pm)

Do you really think someone thinks “Hmmm…Alki would be a good place to shoot someone?” before heading to the beach?
- Julian June 29, 2021 (5:02 pm)
  
  I don’t think it’s a particularly big stretch to assume some people do that or at least come prepared to shoot someone if they think/feel they need to.

Pardonme June 29, 2021 (12:36 am)

I’m sick of this and I don’t even live near there!

Why June 29, 2021 (12:37 am)

Because Guns.

C christensen June 29, 2021 (12:50 am)

Yeah guns did it.. Nothing to do with the actual person’s involved or people taking responsibility for their own actions. I’m sure they were legally acquired and law abiding citizens. Please don’t vote.
- This June 29, 2021 (4:29 pm)
  
  The gun is instrumental in this crime. Without it, no one would have been shot.
- Lyn June 29, 2021 (8:35 pm)
  
  Gee, I wonder why the US leads the world (behind Yemen, Serbia, and Uruguay in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) in the number of firearms per 100 people at 120.5 – and one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Yea, no real connection, just an extraordinary high rate of “criminals”. And, of course, the Earth is flat and Covid-19 vaccine is bogus.
  - Wheat June 30, 2021 (2:29 am)
    
    wrong. It ranks 55th in the world and has 30 homicides per 100k
Rev June 29, 2021 (3:05 am)

Wrong. Because people can’t box. There should be more MMA/Boxing gyms that can be open for people to settle differences instead of using weapons.
Bill June 29, 2021 (3:31 am)

You’d better take a closer look!
Not the Problem June 29, 2021 (6:12 am)

Because criminals. These shootings aren’t law abiding gun owners who just picked up a 9mm from the local gun store…
- Jake June 29, 2021 (8:50 am)
  
  Are you sure about that?
- SlimJim June 29, 2021 (10:27 am)
  
  Well this recent double murder in MA was a “law-abiding gun
  owner”
  
  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57647703
  
  And it actually does happen all the time that someone who “isn’t a criminal” but is a “law-abiding citizen with a legal handgun” commits such violence. Let’s pull our heads out of the sand and not pretend this is a problem, perpetrated only by criminals who we pretty much know are going to do such things.
  - Julian June 29, 2021 (10:53 am)
    
    I agree gun violence isn’t caused solely by people with a previous criminal history.
  - Um, No! June 29, 2021 (1:02 pm)
    
    @slimjim – Pretty sure this gun owner was not “law-abiding” when he shots those two people? Just sayin……
- 22blades June 29, 2021 (12:21 pm)
  
  Does one care where the gun was purchased staring down the barrel? Too many guns. Too. Many. Guns.
Robert Johnson June 29, 2021 (6:31 am)

People
- J June 29, 2021 (11:07 am)
  
  Men.
  
  It’s not all men.
  
  But it’s nearly always a man behind the gun that’s killing.
  
  Let’s look at that.
- AJP June 29, 2021 (11:43 am)
  
  With easy access to highly efficient killing tools.
Alki resident June 29, 2021 (7:25 am)

Actually no, because non of us who legally own guns don’t go shooting people because of stupid arguments and territorial issues. Try again
- This June 29, 2021 (5:23 pm)
  
  But this actually does happen.
  
  And law abiding gun owners are that only until they aren’t any longer, because of a bad reaction or decision.
  
  Take the gun out of the equation, and it’s no longer a risk or possibility.
  
  Unfortunately some gun owners who think they would only use their gun for self defense in a justified moment, end up using it irresponsibly or violently in the heat of a disagreement or road rage, etc.
  
  Guns are too deadly, too quick and easy to use, and they need to go.
  
  Arguments and petty crimes should end with words, or worst case some fists thrown, not in people being shot to death.
  - Julian June 29, 2021 (10:46 pm)
    
    You cannot strip people of their rights because they “might” do or not do something….
    - Samuel July 3, 2021 (10:14 am)
      
      Where do you draw the line? Fully automatic machine guns, rocket launchers, guided missiles? All of those could be covered by your argument depending on how far you take it. Then again, the right to bear arms is preceded by being associated with a well regulated militia. I don’t recall 99.9% of gun owners meeting that criteria. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” Also, when the amendment was drafted, arms referred to muskets. Which take around 20 seconds to load and fire a single bullet. Guarantee that violence such as the incident above would not happen if people had to take 20 seconds to fire a single bullet. They would just get punched in the face (which can be painful but not deadly). If your interpretation of a “right” infringes on tens of thousands of people’s ability to live, you should seriously rethink your interpretation.
- Shawn June 29, 2021 (6:55 pm)
  
  I agree!!!

Alki resident June 29, 2021 (12:39 am)

To add to the Alki summer craziness…. Our 9 year old son heard an argument happening on our street (64th) from his window around 10:30pm. My husband went outside to check to see what was happening and spoke to a neighbor who had just been assaulted while riding his bike. Group of “kids” either spit or threw water on him and then punched him when he got off his bike. Police were called by the neighbor but not sure if anything came of it. We did see a police car patrol our street shortly after (the quick response being greatly appreciated!). We were already on edge and our son was scared so he climbed into our bed. Now 2 hours later all we hear are multiple sirens after the sound of gunshots. As an Alki resident for less than 2 years, this is very unsettling.

moved June 29, 2021 (1:04 am)

I moved away from Alki a year ago and never looked back. I know everyone has different circumstances, but if you’re able, get outta there. It was just getting worse and worse so I left. Not worth it, and there’s really nothing down there. Not even something as simple as a convenient store to grab milk if you’re out. I realized after a few years it just wasn’t a nice place to live. Surrounding neighborhoods have many more amenities, for nearly the same or less rent/mortgage.Best of luck to you and your family! Stay safe.
LY June 29, 2021 (4:34 am)

I lived on 63rd and Alki years ago and after a year we had to leave. The summers there are just not worth it because of the noise from the drunk people walking by, the fights that would break out. And it just keeps getting worse. We have avoided Alki altogether during the summer months because it seems to attract the wrong crowd. I hope you’re able to find a more peaceful neighborhood away from Alki.
This June 29, 2021 (6:43 am)

Sorry to hear of your families rough night, and for the cyclist neighbor who was assaulted.

Really think the Alki community should come together and explore having a portion of the main roadway around Alki closed to turn it into a pedestrian zone / market street.

If you make Alki less drivable and inviting for cruisers and more inviting for families to be out there, you may reduce some of the unwanted activities and crime.
- Jort June 29, 2021 (9:30 am)
  
  The secret catch on this, though, is that will also involve the people on Alki giving up their own driving habits, too. You can’t create a “no race cars and no black drivers who we think might shoot people” restriction zone and still allow the Alki residents to drive through. It’s all or nothing. I personally am in favor of “nothing,” of course, but people often think there’s a secret, magic bullet for removing the scary, scary brown people from the roads while preserving their own way of life. There’s not.
  - Julian June 29, 2021 (5:08 pm)
    
    I think shutting down Alki Ave everywhere that is accessible from other side streets would work and still allow residents to drive their cars. There would prob need to be permitted parking with tow trucks always nearby to enforce it. Yay revenue for the city.Several properties towards the northern point are for sale. It would be interesting if the city bought them and built a parking structure for visitors there since these properties will most likely be torn down eventually. They could provide a trolley or something along those lines to take people down to the main sandy area.
  - This June 29, 2021 (5:31 pm)
    
    Yes, absolutely. Local Alki residents would have to envision these changes to their neighborhood and lifestyle, see the benefits and decide it’s worth it, and sacrifice some roadway for cars to make this happen.
- kass June 29, 2021 (2:46 pm)
  
  This is the best suggestion. Design this place for humans, not for cars. Enforce existing laws. Criminals thrive where there is no accountability and where there is a quick exit.
  - Bill June 30, 2021 (1:07 am)
    
    What did “cars” have to do with this shooting?
- Kassandra June 29, 2021 (2:49 pm)
  
  Best comment. Design cities for humans, not for cars. Enforce existing laws. Crime thrives where there is no accountability and where they can escape easily in their (loud?) cars.
  - burb June 29, 2021 (5:45 pm)
    
    This all sounds like wall-off Alki from all but the >$1M condo crowd. Let the rest, including those with kids and elderly hike on in. I find especially absurd this comment: “because non of us who legally own guns don’t go shooting people because of stupid arguments and territorial issues”. Ya heard of Trayvon Martin getting shot walking home from the store? Or the other idiot “stand your ground” killers? You’ll have to watch something other than Fox to hear about these numbskulls.
- Joanne Watchie June 30, 2021 (12:39 am)
  
  The other problem with the idea of closing off Alki Ave is the impact it would have on all the restaurants along the street from 57th through 63rd Ave SW. Also, the beach is one of the nicest in Seattle and a great place for families to come and play during the day and evenings.I have lived right on Alki Ave for the past 7 yrs, and yes, we have to deal with loud and racing cars and motorcycles (tho not so much in 2019 after the SPD did a noise abatement program in the spring – unfortunately they haven’t had the manpower to repeat this since then) and late night/early morning fireworks, and we’ve had 1 or 2 shootings each summer and occasional fights. However, I frequently walk (actually I do what I call my “happy dance” – boogying along to Zumba music to spare my arthritic toes) after dark and have never felt unsafe . Maybe this is because I’m dancing and I greet most of the young people I pass and we often share a laugh, and sometimes I even get a hug or two!
  - This July 2, 2021 (1:27 pm)
    
    Actually by making it more of an inviting and safe street for pedestrians, businesses might see an increase in foot traffic.
    
    Might need to be a focus on improved bike lanes and transit options to the neighborhood to help access.
    
    Would be cool to see a SkyLink gondola line from the Junction.
    
    Perhaps somewhere in WS a parking garage is needed, so visitors who have to drive can park, and then walk, bus, gondola, etc from there.
    
    Then, perhaps more streets can be converted to pedestrian plaza and market streets, like others have been suggesting too.
wsresident June 29, 2021 (7:12 am)

Sadly Alki summers have always been like this, multiple shootings yearly and I was very surprised to hear that its the first homicide in 4 years. I don’t even go near Alki in the summer.
Frog June 29, 2021 (9:24 am)

Your neighbor needs to accept that Alki is not safe after dark, and stop going out. I live farther from the beach, but still have a strict policy of never going out after dark in the summer. And seriously, what’s this Alki privilege that says Alki should be exempt? Chicago had 74 people shot and 6 killed over the weekend (per WGN TV). Stray bullets, mass shootings, constant violence — these are a regular part of life for millions of people. Alki is far from the worst, so why should Alki be entitled to costly extra police protection and assurance of total safety when other neighborhoods more in need don’t get that? It makes no sense to virtue signal about defunding and abolition, and then expect all the trouble to stay “somewhere else,” as if we are special and the trouble belongs “somewhere else.”
- Julian June 29, 2021 (10:56 am)
  
  I agree people shouldn’t be surprised when anti-law enforcement (regardless of good intentions) public policy results in increased crime and violence. I disagree that people don’t have a right to expect a civil, safe space wherever they live or choose to frequent. That’s not privilege to want that it is what literally everyone wants…
Shawn June 29, 2021 (7:05 pm)

I am so sad to hear how bad it has become down there. I grew up close to Alki from the 70’s to the mid 90’s…. It’s just awful what is happening 😓

scubafrog June 29, 2021 (12:43 am)

My heart goes out to a family somewhere, who’s going to get a call tonight, and their life will change forever. In my life, I’ve known too many families who’ve received these calls. I was thinking earlier when the army of police cars drove by (I knew something awful had happened), as a community – what can we do to change, and foster an atmosphere of less violence? And I don’t know. I’ve been asking myself the same question since the late 80’s and early 90’s. Maybe we’re all failing in society to Nurture. I don’t believe the nature of so many people is to shoot each other. Anyhow, treat each other well, and love yourselves.

Why June 29, 2021 (12:58 am)

After watching the police cars & fire engine screech past my open door, this was my first thought too – the mother / father / spouse who will get the call that will change their lives. I have lots of complicated thoughts, but, it seems to me, first is to disarm the gun lobby and find a way to stop the USA’s love affair with firearms.
- Thomas A Wood June 29, 2021 (8:12 pm)
  
  Where is Lisa and the rest of the Council? Once again absolute silence. You would think that Lisa Herebold ,who is the Chairman of the public safety committee would have something to say.Apparently its not important enough for her!Its obvious the councils plan to eliminate cops is not working. A day doesn’t go by that we don’t have something like this happen.
Rev June 29, 2021 (3:09 am)

You can’t totally get rid of violence, you can only control how it happens. Open more community centers that have MMA and boxing programs for an outlet of aggression and where people can go to hash out their differences in a more controlled setting.
- Bill June 29, 2021 (12:19 pm)
  
  I thought midnight basketball was supposed to cure the problem!
silent June 29, 2021 (4:53 am)

It’s a moment. Someone is intoxicated, on drugs and has a gun. Too many guns. It’s maybe too late to so anything to stop this. It’s heartbreaking. Guns kill people.
- B. S. June 29, 2021 (9:31 am)
  
  A gun has never killed a person unless a person is holding it. Just like a knife, hammer or rock. Wise up!
  - Seaviewer June 29, 2021 (11:44 am)
    
    The US is alone in the world with our relationship to guns. We are by far the most armed people. 1.2 private guns per man, woman, and child. Combine that with the fact that we are bottom 5 in the percentage of guns registered (far less than 1%) and we are all alone. We are a ridiculously armed society with no way to track where any gun is. That’s why our gun crime statistics are so embarrassingly out of alignment with the rest of the world. We aren’t an outlier for drunks or criminals. Every country has plenty of them. We are an outlier in one thing. Guns.
    - Tom June 29, 2021 (6:50 pm)
      
      E PLURIBUS UNUM sound familiar? It’s all about personal rights and personal responsibility for bad behavior. Grabbing is not the solution, and it has been failing more and more at SCOTUS for the last 60 years. Try a little morality, some humility, and dumping the whole “entitlement” brattiness and you might start to get somewhere.
  - AJP June 29, 2021 (11:47 am)
    
    A gun is a highly efficient killing tool, unlike a knife, hammer, or rock. That’s their entire purpose, is a killing tool, unlike a knife, hammer, or rock. Stop making false equivalencies.
    - Tom June 29, 2021 (6:52 pm)
      
      Ther eis no Constitutional Right to keep and bear knives, hammers or rocks. Stop pushing the false parallels, they are an insult to the intelligence of those who have a clue about Constitutional Law. Three bar numbers here. How many do YOU have, professor?
  - Bill June 29, 2021 (11:49 am)
    
    I think you are wasting your efforts!
  - JohnW June 29, 2021 (2:16 pm)
    
    B. S.,
    The moniker is revealing of the comment.
    Guns do in fact injure and kill people even when no one is holding them.
    Long guns have a long and storied history of “accidental firing.”
    Facts do matter.
  - This June 29, 2021 (5:35 pm)
    
    @b.s.
    
    But if a gun wasn’t available for a person to hold, they wouldn’t be able to shoot one. And unfortunately, gun violence is a problem.
    
    What are your ideas for ending gun violence, if not working towards eliminating guns? Some believe this could be part of the solution.
- Julian June 29, 2021 (10:12 am)
  
  People kill people stop taking blame away from the people who perpetrate this stuff
- Julian June 29, 2021 (10:28 am)
  
  Guns do not kill people. People kill people. It’s literally human nature and not something that can be fixed. That doesn’t mean that firearms aren’t used responsibly by 99.99999% of the people that own them.
  - Jort June 29, 2021 (10:48 am)
    
    Oh no! It can be fixed, really easily, by taking everybody’s guns and melting them down and throwing the waste in the ocean. We are the only major country on the planet with this extremely unique problem. Other countries manage to do just fine without gun fetishism and the resultant violence; we can too. That’s why it’s time to amend the constitution and forcibly remove the guns out of the hands of every human in this country. DONE AND GONE.
    - Frog June 29, 2021 (5:06 pm)
      
      Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia … I can think of some other major countries that have this not-at-all unique problem, to an even greater extent.
  - guns in human hands kill June 29, 2021 (10:58 am)
    
    Guns+humans=deaths one thing can be taken away to change the equation
    - Bill June 29, 2021 (11:51 am)
      
      Criminals!
    - Um, No! June 29, 2021 (1:07 pm)
      
      No, two things can be changed in that situation. But, one of them is not a political hot button.
- Um, No! June 29, 2021 (1:05 pm)
  
  Enough with the “guns kill people” argument. It’s factually untrue. You know, science!
  - Tom June 29, 2021 (7:04 pm)
    
    Hmmm. One of Newton’s Laws is conservation of momentum. An object will continue in its current state until some other force is applied. So “science” says that a gun, sitting in my safe, will continue to do
    absolutely nothing until somebody comes along and moves it, or even aims it and fires. You know “science”. This is not rocket science. A gun with no human is a doorstop. THAT is “science”.
Maya June 30, 2021 (2:08 am)

Very Bad Call For His Mother, He Was Her ONLY Child, His Girlfriend Whos Pregnant With Their 2nd Child & All His Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. Very Sad To Lose Your Life Over A Petty Argument & So Young.. Some People Just Have No Regard For Human Life Anymore & Are Scared To Fight So They Always Carry Some Type Of Weapon & Don’t Care How Many People Are Hurt Or Suffer From Their Actions. Now A Mother Lost Her Only Child, His Girlfriend Will Look At Her Kids & Be Reminded Of This Tragedy Every Day, His Kids No Longer Have A Father. Truly Truly Sad & Downright Disgusting!

a.m.eb June 29, 2021 (12:46 am)

Any ages for the victims or those involved?

WSB June 29, 2021 (12:50 am)

No ages or conditions yet. In one radio exchange police speculated that two of the victims were adults, SFD will have more definitive info although I don’t know if their public-info officer will see my inquiry before early morning.
- Runner June 29, 2021 (6:11 am)
  
  Alki is great in the mornings after the garbage left from the night before is cleaned up. The evenings the vibe is much different. I’ve been here for six years and keep hoping it will change. Unfortunately I just can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, the city of Seattle needs to decide what Alki is, a beautiful place for family’s and pick nicks or just a place to race cars and motorcycles up and down the street and get drunk. I’m really wishing that the city will step in and save this place.

Concerned neighbor June 29, 2021 (1:14 am)

Maybe this will give good reason for us to have one (at minimum) posted police officer(s) at the beach 24/7. At this point I think it’s required at least to complete this summer. PLS SPD consider this a viable option
Someone is dead tonight!
Just sad

Anne June 29, 2021 (6:23 am)

Do you really think posting ONE SPD Office 24/7 at Alki will stop this kind of thing? One Officer can’t be everywhere & one Officer shouldn’t have to handle armed groups alone. . I:`Why last night-why not any of the previous nights?
Old West June 29, 2021 (8:17 am)

At least a couple cops every warm evening seem needed. Mornings to tea time, and winter don’t seem to be a problem. I think they already are policing that way, aren’t they? People move to Alki because they want more adventure and beach party in their lives- not more quiet tranquility. Adventure sometimes goes off the rails, otherwise it wouldn’t be an adventure. We will always have brawlers among us, too bad they are armed. There is so much more opportunity for bystanders to break up trouble when it’s fisticuffs.
- Julian June 29, 2021 (10:10 am)
  
  Pretty sure they would do this with knives or a bat or whatever else they could get their hands on if they didn’t have access to guns. Also if it was just a fist fight people would also be up and arms about it too because it’s also unacceptable public behavior…People move to Alki or other nearby neighborhoods for a number of different reasons the least of which is so they can be closer to danger.
  - Barton June 29, 2021 (11:28 am)
    
    Stop. Highly unlikely anybody would be dead right now if not for virtually unrestricted access to guns to be used for any purpose. I have never heard anyone seeking to disallow law abiding citizens from owning guns for legitimate recreation or self defense but the idea that many of these criminal tragedies are not a direct result of a lack of reasonable regulation is ludicrous.
    - Julian June 29, 2021 (5:29 pm)
      
      You have no way of proving what you just said. People are capable of killing other people any number of ways. The people that perpetrate this stuff are motivated for one reason or another to hurt their target or targets. Please stop saying they are incapable of carrying out their goal if they do not possess a firearm. It does not make any sense.There also is an ABSURD amount of gun regulation already. There is so much regulation that it is to the point that they have trouble processing firearm background checks because there aren’t enough people to actually process them. If you want to discuss reasonable gun regulation maybe it should start with revisiting laws that are unenforceable and removing/adjusting them as necessary.
    - This June 30, 2021 (7:05 am)
      
      Would argue, @Julian, that other tools such as rocks and knives are much easier to come by than a gun.
      
      So if your perspective was right, wouldn’t there be more assaults and deaths from these tools than from guns?
      
      Fearful gun owners and fans want to protect their ‘right’ to own a specialized human killing device.
      
      Think some people can no longer agree that owning deadly weapons that kill other people and have a high rate of misuse should continue to be a ‘right.’

~hockeywitch~ June 29, 2021 (1:21 am)

I remember back in the day, if you had a beef with someone, there was a fist fight after school, or in the parking lot of the club/bar… you beat the crap out of each other and moved on, either making up and being friends, or never spoke to each other again, but it was done…. I have never understood the need for a gun to settle an argument.. its not a video game.. you pull the trigger, you can’t hit reset, and get a do over…

Sam June 29, 2021 (1:48 am)

I understand your analogy, but just a friendly reminder that it’s a bad one. Video Games have absolutely no correlation to violence. This has been proven time and time again. Blame the rise of mental health problems, stress/anxiety, and an incredibly out of touch gun lobby. Guns are just too easy for unstable people to get their hands on.
- Tom June 29, 2021 (7:27 pm)
  
  Sort of. NICS database is a swiss cheese POS. It picks up crimes and most domestic violence perps. However the STATES and the HIPPA nonsense cause huge holes in reporting mental health issues. Believe it or not this is a point the NRA has been complaining miserably about for decades. The lefties like to demonize the NRA and actually misrepresent the position of the NRA as being anti-background-check. That is nonsense. NRA has called for a database that does NOT suck for many years, and only objects to the truly crappy NICS check because it is literally crap. Look up the official statement on this, the latest one is dated January 2013 and as far as I know, nothing has changed (or improved). Why? Easy. Ask deToqueville: “Americans are cheap”.

Alki Neighbors June 29, 2021 (1:38 am)

Walking my dog off of 60th and everything was taped off from Alki Cafe past spuds. This is the 4th murder that’s happened since I’ve been here (14 months). The second shooting close enough to my window that my security camera has caught all gun shots.

WSB June 29, 2021 (2:58 am)

Hi – just for the record, this is the first homicide on Alki in three years, unless you’re counting the suitcase-bodies case, which isn’t officially considered a Seattle murder case since the victims were killed in Burien. Last year we covered three Alki shooting incidents in which the victims all survived – TR
- Anne June 29, 2021 (6:24 am)
  
  Thank you for correcting misconceptions !
- Alki homeowner June 29, 2021 (9:07 am)
  
  @alki neighbors yeah there has been violencehttps://westseattleblog.com/2020/08/2-hurt-in-alki-drive-by-shooting/https://westseattleblog.com/2020/12/followup-charges-filed-in-alki-alley-shooting/The above aren’t deaths but still shootings! A lot in 14 months
Runner June 29, 2021 (6:24 am)

Alki is great in the mornings after the garbage left from the night before is cleaned up. The evenings the vibe is much different. I’ve been here for six years and keep hoping it will change. Unfortunately I just can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, the city of Seattle needs to decide what Alki is, a beautiful place for family’s and pick nicks or just a place to race cars and motorcycles up and down the street and get drunk. I’m really wishing that the city will step in and save this place.
Correlation June 29, 2021 (9:25 am)

Hmmmmm. From one of the newish townhouses that go for $1.4 million? Everything is connected.

Mel June 29, 2021 (4:42 am)

I’m tired of this violence in our city recently. Time for us as a city/county to start really cracking down on crime. Yes, that means holding people accountable for their actions. Why should innocent peoples lives be put in danger by the people committing these violent crimes?

Derek June 29, 2021 (12:43 pm)

Less cops. Defunding police and investing in community leads to less crime. It’s already working in Portland and Minneapolis. Funding more police is a reactionary take on crime and we’ve had it for a century and police department personnel rate climbs higher than the rate of crime. So it’s not stopping crime. Goal is to PREVENT crime. Gangs and that sort of thing. Investing in community jobs and community policing does this better than armed quasi military members. Defund now.
- Sam June 29, 2021 (1:54 pm)
  
  This is 100% incorrect. Defunding police has directly resulted in an enormous increase in crime in almost every area it has been attempted. If the results were positive I would hands down agree with you, but the results are simply horrible. Major cities are now dealing with record breaking homocide and violent crime rates after trying it.
  
  Police act as a deterrent, their presence statistically mitigates crime by forcing assailants to ask themselves if they want to commit that crime right in front of an officer, or when they know there is a high likelihood of being caught and face consequences.
- Chris K June 29, 2021 (9:40 pm)
  
  I think you mean fewer cops.

Tony June 29, 2021 (6:04 am)

Here’s an idea: all of the wealthy homeowners and successful business owners who live on or near the beach, Harbor and beach drive cough up some $$ and hire private security? You can’t take your money with you when you or your loved ones are felled by a bullet.

Julian June 29, 2021 (10:35 am)

Here’s an idea, everyone that visits the area pays for parking that funds police officers presence the entire time. That sounds the most equitable route to me. Be about what you preach don’t spread hate.
Alki resident July 1, 2021 (4:16 pm)

Tony -Why is this turning into a homeowner issue? Is it too much to ask to have a safe neighborhood? This area is out of control and the CITY needs to step in to fix. I pay taxes just like the rest.

This June 29, 2021 (6:12 am)

Sad to hear of another shooting and life lost.

Thank you chief Diaz. Yes we’ve got to figure out ways to recover guns and get guns off the streets, agreed.

Al King June 29, 2021 (6:25 am)

Live a block away and slept through all of this. As has been said here before there are 2 Alki’s. There’s the daylight and there’s the after dark. Question for all the gun owners. What does owning one actually solve???? How many crimes have you stopped????

Derek June 29, 2021 (8:46 am)

Fine with taking all non hunting handguns away, however, the cops have to be the first to give them up. Only rule I have.
- K. Davis June 29, 2021 (11:53 pm)
  
  Your anti-police opinions are breathtaking in their stupidity. Truly impressive
jack June 29, 2021 (9:08 am)

I’m not a gun owner but I think it highly unlikely that the gun/guns involved in this shooting and most others in this kind of incident were bought for full price in a gun shop, registered and licensed and the shooter had a permit to carry.
- BS June 29, 2021 (11:34 am)
  
  Well, melt down all guns that get caught up in crimes (yes, many stolen), regulate the manufacturers better, lock up yer guns better, and raise kids to not grow up being gun freaks who can’t handle arguments.
Julian June 29, 2021 (10:45 am)

A person’s personal property or why they chose to buy it isn’t really anyone else’s concern. To respond to your comment that was obviously designed just to gaslight though, a person’s decision to buy a firearm can be for any number of reasons self defense included. I own shotguns that I shoot clay sports with….my guns are legal and are stored legally. These guns could be used to cause physical harm to someone but they never will be…what’s your justification for me not being able to legally own them?
- Bill June 30, 2021 (1:38 am)
  
  “…what’s your justification for me not being able to legally own them?”Why presume that he has any?
Tom June 29, 2021 (11:17 am)

I have owned at least one since 1965. I stopped two guys with crowbars from beating me by simply showing my rifle. This was on NE 12th in Bellevue, in broad daylight no less. In Stockton me and the ex were accosted by a knife wielding mugger in a hotel parking lot. We fanned out per plan to 45 degrees each, she showed her pistol; and I showed my beloved KaBar. Nobody got hurt. Weapons do have their uses, but they should only ever be used in the proper situations and even then expect a legal sh*t storm. Punks are everywhere and not one of them is interested in a fair fight. Get trained. Get classes. Get range time. Stay qualified. Never over-step the limits of the qualified privilege. It’s usually either criminals or untrained people that cause problems. The guns themselves just lay around doing nothing until a human puts one into service. Yes, I do know where the lines are, I am an attorney in three states and heavily trained.
- Derek June 29, 2021 (12:46 pm)
  
  Nice anecdotes but not having the guns is better than having. It’s literally the case in England and other places and it works.
- Kassandra June 29, 2021 (2:54 pm)
  
  If you escalate this further, the US will become South Africa of the 90’s where I was stopped by criminals with a bazooka and my bodyguard only had a Walter.
- Julian June 29, 2021 (5:32 pm)
  
  Just because you have an opinion about something does not make it so. The vast majority of Americans support gun ownership and would disagree with you.
StopCuttingDownTrees June 29, 2021 (2:06 pm)

Being legally-armed with a .45 1911 pistol saved my life when I was car-jacked by 4 armed felons 28 years ago just south of the High Point water towers. It also saved me in 1992 when I was assaulted on a midnight walk by a car load of drunks late at night on Beach Drive. I drew my .357 Ruger SP101 and they stopped their assault/fled.

Marcus June 29, 2021 (6:32 am)

Sad for the victims and sad for the city. This is my city where my family and friends live. Crime has been allowed to fester and little stuff becomes normal, but small crime develops into more violent crime. A well funded police force and prosecution with jail time is vital to keeping our streets safe. The city leaders do not seem to be interested in public safety.

Alki homeowner June 29, 2021 (9:04 am)

yes, I agree.
- Julian June 29, 2021 (10:40 am)
  
  I also agree
Also Alki Homeowner June 29, 2021 (12:48 pm)

I disagree. Defund police and invest in community so we can provide more easily attainable jobs for poor people and helping the youth at the same time.
Lanz June 29, 2021 (3:09 pm)

Yes. I agree.

Super Deli Fan June 29, 2021 (6:37 am)

The beach energy last night around 7pm was awesome. Hottest day ever, the beach was a wonderful place to be. I swam in the sound at almost 9pm on a Monday night. It was unreal. Sunset was definitely the time to pack up the beach chairs and head home. Sad to see anger, alcohol, and guns claim more lives.

Julian June 29, 2021 (10:18 am)

Guns don’t kill people people kill people.
- AJP June 29, 2021 (11:50 am)
  
  Guns are the easiest and most efficient ways to kill people.
  - Tom June 29, 2021 (7:50 pm)
    
    Wrong. Arson and explosives are the the easiest and most efficient ways to kill a lot of people in one fell stroke. It’s why the military uses “bombs” and “rockets”. Any punk with a couple hundred bucks can go to a big box hardware joint and get everything required to mix up a very big boom can. The recipes are all over Google and YouTube. Single issue people have got to wake up to a big wide world of ugly facts. Take one device and people will only use another, as it has always been.
Julian June 29, 2021 (10:24 am)

When laws aren’t enforced, other laws aren’t obeyed either…the beach has been the Wild West here forever. I don’t see any of this behavior changing until something is done to stop it. I have no idea what that is or how to do it or if that’s even possible.
- Sasquatch June 29, 2021 (10:41 am)
  
  People kill people with guns. Would love to have some sort of way to take guns away from perpetrators and people who don’t have the correct permit. Time to get all these guns off the streets and taken away from idiots
  - Julian June 29, 2021 (12:05 pm)
    
    Guns are on the street. You will never be able to take away every gun from people. The only people that would turn in a firearm are ones who went through the legal process to purchase one. There are too many firearms floating around and “taking away guns” isn’t possible and won’t solve the issue here.
  - Tom June 29, 2021 (7:59 pm)
    
    Having the permit only indicates that the carrier has a clean background. It does not entitle the licensee to “show” their piece in public. Doing so will likely cost you your CPL. It is a license to carry concealed, not a license to bhow off. After that all the rules are the same for everyone. There is no magic in a CPL. The holder is still in for a massive legal hassle if the piece gets used. Being right won’t help you. Drop the mag. Open the action. Put each on the ground yards apart. Move away from both. Get out your permit and your drivers license and sit down. Confirm your identity but otherwise remain silent and demand an attorney. It’s CPL/CCW 101. Nobody I know got a CPL/CCW to work their inner bully. It’s a shield. Too many trash idiots out there screw up the works for us with all the “blast em to hell” talk.

cjboffoli June 29, 2021 (6:39 am)

Interesting that it was the chief out there in the wee hours of morning, as opposed to a PIO.

H June 29, 2021 (7:23 am)

This was entirely predictable and preventable. What we need down in Alki, especially in the early summer months, is a constant police presence. But we have a city council who demonizes and demoralizes the police and views them as the problem rather than a solution to the rapidly rising crime in this city. The result? Police are leaving in droves and they don’t have the resources to do preventive community policing. People, vote these city councilmembers out and for God’s sake don’t vote for Lorena Gonzalez for Mayor. She will continue the policies that have led to rising lawlessness in this great city.

alki_2008 June 29, 2021 (11:20 pm)

Explain how having a stronger police presence on the weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun) would’ve prevented this shooting that occurred on MONDAY night?

StopCuttingDownTrees June 29, 2021 (7:56 am)

2 days ago I posted about the lack of SPD presence at Alki during hot weekends and how city officials must be waiting for someone to be killed before acting. This is an absolute outrage as it was 100% preventable. I drove through Alki on Sunday evening from 7/11 to Constellation Park and didn’t see ONE SPD vehicle despite thousands of people. This could have easily been 4 dead instead of one and a dozen wounded instead of 3. Shame on city officials.

joel June 29, 2021 (8:06 am)

any odds of these shootings making Herbold’s newsletter….my money is her email update is filled with her spin on how lovely things are in Herbold’s backyard.

Justme June 29, 2021 (8:09 am)

@Rev: in the 80’s and early 90’s there were activity centers and hubs for youth and teens designed specifically for at risk. In my direct experience with these services they were shut down due to ongoing issues of drive by’s, violence, and lack of attendance in the very population who needed it most. These services can help some, but it’s often too late. Intervention needs to start earlier. Like say, empowering our young women to raise their self esteem thus lowering the teen pregnancies, giving families the option to send their kids to better schools via voucher systems, and early mentorship in single parent families and especially for the children who already have 1 parent in prison.

Joan June 29, 2021 (8:29 am)

Oh nice, everybody takes their guns to the beach? Yes, it always amazes me. I guess it’s a certain crowd anyway who would be at the beach at that hour. We DO need a regular ongoing police presence down there. This is unacceptable in any community. Alki cannot be a place where people can go and feel like they own it and can start trouble in any way they want. If people know, “hey, there’s cops down there all the time,” they might actually stay away.

Cora June 29, 2021 (1:25 pm)

“A certain crowd”? I work at a hospital all day saving people and am usually down there late to listen to the water and unwind after shifts. I sure wish I’d known that made me inferior to JOAN of all people.
- Jay June 29, 2021 (2:57 pm)
  
  Same here, I’m a professional who goes to the beach late to relax. I’ve had cops come by during curfews to remove me. I’ve also been harassed by Karens (Joans?) for enjoying my legal propane fire pit after the sun goes down, they walk around me with their cameras and call 911. At least I get to have a good laugh with the local firefighters from time to time I guess. Public spaces should be open all the time. That’s my space just as much as anyone who lives in a $2 million beachfront property. I’ve been going there a long time and have literally never had an issue with anyone aside from Karens and cops. Nasty people use these outlier events to preach doom and gloom and push their busybody agendas.

CMK June 29, 2021 (8:48 am)

There was gunfire on Friday afternoon on Alki at 6:30 pm. It was only luck that someone didn’t get shot. We had friends with a “front-row seat” from the brewery, and they reported it took SPD 15 minutes to respond. Gangs and guns are a problem, as well as the lack of police. The murder rate in Seattle is at a 26 year high and went up 61% last year. Let’s not forget the City Council has decided not to support the police (including Lorena Gonzalez running for mayor right now) and STILL wants to defund the police by 50%. They and their policies have decimated our public safety. We need more police on Alki. We need to pay for it. And most importantly- We need to get the current members of the City Council out of our city government.

WSB June 29, 2021 (9:04 am)

We reported on that:
https://westseattleblog.com/2021/06/west-seattle-crime-watch-alki-gunfire/
Julian June 29, 2021 (10:48 am)

Couldn’t agree more
WTF June 29, 2021 (10:29 pm)

100%

SouthAlki June 29, 2021 (9:08 am)

Twenty years now in Alki area…I’m ready to spruce up the house and move. It’s beautiful but I’m sick of the violence at the beach, the racing down the streets, the trash left behind. I thought we might get a break with the bridge closed but nope. I don’t see things ever improving.

Richard June 29, 2021 (9:24 am)

“Why do you carry a gun?”, I asked him.

“To protect myself!”, he said.

“Protect yourself from who?”, I asked.

“From people with guns!”, he said.

Ahhh it all makes sense now.

Jort June 29, 2021 (1:06 pm)

In 2017, a man on the 32nd story of the Las Vegas hotel on the left side of this picture fired high-powered rifles into a crowd of people attending a concert in the parking lot on the right side of this picture. The distance between the window and the festival was 1/4 mile, almost five football fields away. The shooter killed 60 humans and wounded 411 others. It took 10 minutes to do this damage. There is not a single human in that festival that could have possibly “defended” themselves with a firearm. Can somebody with a CCW handgun hit a target 490 yards away and 32 stories up in the dark without hitting another human in that hotel? No, you can’t. “Self-defense” gun ownership is a joke. This country has some serious problems but this gun fetishist culture is among the worst. Remove the guns from America.
- Um, No! June 29, 2021 (2:32 pm)
  
  @Jort – Good luck with that idea. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols killed over 150 people with essentially fertilizer and a rented cargo truck. If someone wants to do mass harm, they are going to do mass harm. Wouldn’t it be better to try and deal with the people who are the true threats? But, I guess it might “offend” someone if we target them as a threat. Can’t have someone offended or inconvenienced. Nope. Like it or not, guns are here. Blame who ever you want and keep beating that drum, but they will never be confiscated. The sooner people start realizing that and start dealing with the real issue (mentally unstable people), the better off we’ll all be.
- alki_2008 June 29, 2021 (7:38 pm)
  
  The Vegas shooter wasn’t using a handgun. Ridiculous analogy.
Um, No! June 29, 2021 (1:14 pm)

@Richard. If only it were that simple. Try again.

Just putting it out there June 29, 2021 (9:28 am)

If every adult in West Seattle donated $5 a year, we could hire private security for Alki during the summer months. 60,000+ adults = $300,000. Say 5 months, every night from 7pm-3am. That’s 140 days, 8 hours a night. 1,120 hours. Assume $50 an hour, that’s $56,000 per guard. That’s roughly 8 guards for the entire summer. If all they do is monitor behavior and report to SPD, the presence alone might keep things a little quieter. Of course all of this is off the cuff math and speculation, but it’s a potential option.

Julian June 29, 2021 (10:47 am)

I would agree to a tax specifically earmarked for additional police presence here if it could not be stolen and used to pay for something else…
Tom June 29, 2021 (8:22 pm)

Surveillance cameras. Lots and lots of them, and with sharp resolution instead of the fuzzy crap we usually see. It’s a public place, and the expectation of privacy is zero. Make sure to get a clean photo of every plate that goes into or out of the area. That ought to provide a good size dose of punk repellent all by itself. Alki has been this bad as long as I can remember (and when I was born up on Trenton Street, Eisenhower was still President). …. and put radar speed cameras up on the stretch from Jack Block Park up to the boat launch. Punks use that as a drag strip.

Thomas June 29, 2021 (9:31 am)

Especially sad to hear about a life lost and I hope the injured recover. It’s hard to know where to go from here. The people of Alki are going to have to organize at some point to improve their situation. I think it might start with making a decision about what the neighborhood is supposed to be. Is it a family friendly community where the kids who attend the local school can roam freely all seasons? Or is it a party strip where we need to regulate access and check for weapons? Can it be both??? Right now the neighborhood seems confused. Or like a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde situation. The onus is on the country IMO to deal with the factors that contribute to all the gun violence we see. But until that happens, how is Alki going to ensure the safety and livability of its residents?

Kathy June 29, 2021 (5:54 pm)

I’m an Alki resident since 1975. I, for one, do not begrudge people coming from other parts of the city to blow off steam here. If considering renting or buying here I would think twice about locating right on the north beach near the restaurants. Sometimes people get a little out of hand and that’s on them. I do not recall if there was ever an incident here of an innocent uninvolved bystander getting shot in the crossfire or someone being attacked in their home by a stranger randomly shooting a gun, but I could be wrong. When the action gets lively on the north beach, I make myself scarce, and find a calmer location. It’s notable that things have calmed down considerably on the south beach thanks to the restrictions on drive through traffic.
Tom June 29, 2021 (8:26 pm)

Stop and Frisk… the so called “Terry” stop involves a warrantless search. In the absence of a reasonable suspicion (good faith, but less than probable cause) such stops and frisks are unconstitutional. I am not saying they don’t work (they do).

LovingNorthAdmiral June 29, 2021 (9:48 am)

WSB clarified that this was the last deadly shooting since 2017 and they are correct.Just in case there was anyone else besides me confused there was also a deadly stabbing back in 2018 but closer to the water taxi dock: https://westseattleblog.com/2018/06/emergency-response-for-possible-stabbing-at-alki/Still, with how many people visit Alki and the fact that all three murders did not involve bystanders I think it’s very reasonable to feel safe down at Alki…especially before 10-11pm.

scubafrog June 29, 2021 (10:49 am)

That may make you feel safe. But when was the last shooting on Alki? Or last shots fired call on Alki? Probably Sunday. So let’s not get too rosy a picture, acting Chief Diaz is right about the shocking number of reported shootings in WS. Seattle’s a big city now, with big city realities. It’s not Chicago, like some imbecile implied earlier, and people seldom die due to gunshot, thankfully. But we live in an unsafe society, and that’s life in any big city.
- WSB June 29, 2021 (11:48 am)
  
  Just to clarify, while we have had more than a few shots-fired incidents in WS this year, the chief was speaking about citywide. I hear other areas’ dispatches while sitting next to the scanner all day and night, not just Southwest Precinct, and there’s been a homicide elsewhere or injury shooting in the city almost daily lately (see SPD Blotter for some of the cases). One murder is too many; as noted above, this is the first one of the year in our area, third in a year and a half (neither of the two last year were shootings).
  - Westsiiide June 29, 2021 (5:35 pm)
    
    WSB, that is incorrect. We had a murder in White Center near the Taradise cafe about ten days ago. If a murder is being reported in your publication, then it definitely happened “in our area” despite it being in White Center.
    - WSB June 29, 2021 (6:43 pm)
      
      I was referring to West Seattle specifically, Sorry to not be clear.

1WS Resident June 29, 2021 (9:50 am)

I know my following thoughts are half baked. I have been on Alki for 20+years and I am helplessly watching it struggle to continue to be a family/friends/fun safe place. My thoughts? We can’t rely on the City or the police to solve our problems. The police are doing the best they can with limited resources, and even in the best of times they can’t be here all night long. Perhaps we need direct community involvement. And we need to think “outside the box”. Perhaps a network of neighbors with street facing video cameras and signs warning visitors that their cars/plates are being recorded? Alki Ave/Admiral are the two main routes in, so it wouldn’t take much to cover. They do it in Medina and no – we are not Medina but I will bet people that see their warning signs think twice. Yes my idea is “out there”, but it is only one example of brainstorming. What other ideas do local people have? That is really my point. Maybe with a group effort a couple of worthwhile ideas will result. Somehow a message needs to be sent – Alki represents good safe fun, troublemakers will not be tolerated. We need to do something or it will only continue to get worse.

Runner June 29, 2021 (10:28 am)

I a agree completely. If the rules that are already in place and posted, were enforced it would be a great start. Unfortunately right now it’s do whatever you want, don’t worry about how it affects those around you!
WHY June 29, 2021 (10:32 am)

Thanks for your thoughts. I’m also a long-time resident, about 30 years. My thoughts are also off the cuff this morning, but it seems to me that “trouble” happens every year when the weather changes. Old-timers used to bemoan the even earlier years when there would be drag racing and posturing on the beach.This beach has always belonged to the public. That will never change. (I hope) The biggest changes have been: the escalation of the USA’s love affair with firearms and the huge yawning chasm of wealth disparities. People moving to Alki now are people who can afford modest, mostly poorly-constructed, and yes – unattractive – structures costing more than a million dollars.its not a recipe for happiness. Unless structural issues of our social and political order are addressed, things will not improve. Police, more rules and regulations, citizen patrols, whatever…… these are band aids. Band aids always fall off.
- JohnW June 29, 2021 (2:35 pm)
  
  That is an admirably clumsy pivot to blaming the new Alki homeowners and their ascribed dissatisfaction with their sub par ugly million dollar homes.
  This is “WHY?”
  Of course the sub standard by all codes Alki Beach shacks that lacked both quality and looks are not mentioned in this diatribe nor are the quality of the Gold Coast of Alki re-developments.
- Kassandra June 29, 2021 (3:10 pm)
  
  Obvious observation, but what have you done in the last 30 years? Did you write letters to city council? We are not trying to fix capitalism, this is a simple crime problem which obviously correlates to wealth gap and poverty, lack of education etc, but none of these problems are feasible from our point of view to fix, what is fixable though are city design and enforcement of existing laws.
  - Why June 29, 2021 (4:49 pm)
    
    Good points. I have done much more than write letters to city council (which is fun but not fully effective) in my 30 years, thanks. And will continue to do. Because everything is still fixable.
Tom June 29, 2021 (8:33 pm)

Bingo. There are a few streets like California Way (?), the “Fifties” on restaurant row, Bonaire and one road up south of Schmitz that would have to be covered. I am all for cameras. GOOD ONES. Nothing quite like knowing that the cold eye of surveillance has your car and your plates recorded coming and going to provide a calming effect. Also get the cops out there ticketing every expired license tag, illegal mirror dangler, and broken tail lamp even if only to subsidize the larger mission of putting law enforcement where the trouble is.

Pulitzer Wesson June 29, 2021 (10:21 am)

@WSB please continue to update on the outcomes of this tragedy. Interested in learning what steps will be taken to prevent future murders on a public beach.

Tom June 29, 2021 (8:38 pm)

If this is the first since 2017, given the millions who have passed through in the interim, my guess is the city itself won’t deem it sound risk management/loss control to do more than they are already doing. The money is not bottomless and the whole works is up to the bean counters and actuaries. It is not that the city does not care, it just has to justify the use of limited resources based on objectively quantifiable risks. Large numbers work like that.

Terry June 29, 2021 (10:25 am)

In some countries, when you go to the beach , you bring a towel. I will never understand the need for many here to be scared to go to the beach, grocery store, school etc without their stupid toys.

tt June 29, 2021 (11:04 am)

Americans are such fearful, paranoid people.

KT June 29, 2021 (11:15 am)

I have lived in West Seattle for 18 years. It seems that every single year there is at least one major incident at the beach and a whole lot of minor incidents, all of which have people pushing for action to better control disorder on Alki. Every single year the Seattle police say they are too under staffed and under funded. Perhaps SPD parks a mobile precinct on the beach front for a couple of weekends or has a few bike officers roving the area when the outcry is the loudest and then move on. And it repeats. Nothing changes. You won’t find a resort area that doesn’t dedicate law enforcement resources based on seasonal influx. And yes, Alki is a resort area if not in a traditional sense.

Mel June 29, 2021 (3:55 pm)

You obviously don’t understand how low their numbers are right now. They can barely get people to cover the mandatory shifts for minimums. People are being forced to work OT and moral is at an all time low.
- KT June 29, 2021 (4:31 pm)
  
  My point is that for 18 years it has been the same excuse for lack of SPD presence.

4th Gen WS June 29, 2021 (11:41 am)

It is sad what is going on at Alki. Seems they could block
things off for local access only starting 10 or 11pm.City Council has failed us miserable in this city, How do
they keep getting voted back into office? People need to stop voting for
a cause or with their emotions. The city council has no idea how to run a
city.

Homelessness is worse despite millions of dollars being thrown
at it. Downtown is devastated and filthy. No one wants to go there
anymore, covid or not. Crime is way up and happening in broad daylight all
around us. Public Schools are getting worse and failing our youth..
People are dying unnecessarily due to lack of vision, action, and incompetence.

Foop June 29, 2021 (6:40 pm)

Sweeping generalizations like ‘downtown is devastated and no one wants to go there’ are all I need to see to dismiss someone’s entire argument. Nothing happens in a vacuum, crime rates country wide are up. 2020 was rough and it’s showing. Summer always sees an increase in crime. And for the record, every time I’ve ventured downtown this last few months, it’s been absolutely hoppin.

Curious June 29, 2021 (12:09 pm)

Whatever happened with the servalliance cameras that were installed in 2013 along Alki that were apparently never activated? https://westseattleblog.com/2014/03/wsb-qa-with-the-mayor-2-will-spds-surveillance-cameras-ever-be-turned-on/

WSB June 29, 2021 (1:48 pm)

They were removed quite a while back.

3434 June 29, 2021 (12:12 pm)

More dummies that are so broken that they only way they know how to solve problems are through guns. Get out if you think this way!

1WS Resident June 29, 2021 (12:22 pm)

Here is a crazy idea. The Parks dept. currently has a couple of “ambassadors” at Alki during the day and they have no apparent job assignments, nothing to do. And in the evening now they have 2-4 Parks employees on carts warning people about beach fire restrictions. It does no good. After the Parks people leave at 10 ish the beach fires come back all night long. I know it will never happen but since the park is what draws people here maybe instead the parks dept could reallocate funds and provide 2 “security” people to work from 8pm to 4 am Wed-Sun. A net savings in labor expense and an actual chance of making a difference. Yup – I said it was crazy.

Duffy June 29, 2021 (12:31 pm)

So let me get this straight; can’t take the family to Alki because it turns into a war zone every summer, and you can’t take the family to many of the city parks because they have turned into toxic encampments. OK, it’s not that simplistic, but the responses year in and year out from the authorities that are responsible for maintaining peace and order in these places are the same; we are underfunded and don’t have the ability to be everywhere at once. We, as in law abiding and tax paying citizens like myself, need to take back our parks and public places. This has gone to far and the elected officials sure as hell aren’t making it a priority.

alki_2008 June 29, 2021 (7:51 pm)

A “war zone”? Please. This happened at midnight, not in the middle of the afternoon..So many comments in this post sounding like the beach is such a scary place. It’s not even close to what downtown Seattle or other neighborhoods have to deal with.
- Elle Nell June 29, 2021 (8:36 pm)
  
  Again, scared fearful humans. They do not make for good community participants.
- Julian June 29, 2021 (10:56 pm)
  
  Shots were fired on Friday at 6pm…..the last shooting that happened in the alley between 60th and 61st happened in the afternoon….

Marty M June 29, 2021 (12:59 pm)

When you defund the police, this is what is to be expected. When you look at all of the cities in the United States that defunded the police more shootings as well as murders have gone up significantly. Having the city send out counselors to talk to criminals will not work! There is a percentage of the population that is just pure evil! First and foremost most the mayor as well as the city council’s main priority should be safety of the citizens. Have we seen or heard the mayor or Lisa Herbold speak up about the violence in this area? The elected officials are totally unreliable. Lisa Herbold on one hand wanted more police, and then voted to defund them!Let’s get rid of the social programs that cost money with no results and focus on a bonafide safety program! The elected officials don’t care about the law abiding tax payer whatsoever. Lets start focusing in on the safety of the citizens of West Seattle that fund the city. Let’s recall and defund the mayor as well as the city Council! They’re totally useless, the only time they speak up is during the election!

tryreadingsometime June 30, 2021 (5:11 pm)

@Marty – you realize we didn’t defund SPD, at all, we increased the budget.

Greg Goldstein June 29, 2021 (1:40 pm)

As someone from the rest of the world who now calls America home and lives on Alki, this is a uniquely American problem to me. The fact so many seem to just accept it is mind-boggling. It always comes down to gun culture, something nowhere else in the western world has to such a degree. Measures need to be taken at this point. I know we’re moving away due to all the violence and general anti-social stuff that happens in summer here now.

scubafrog June 29, 2021 (3:05 pm)

Scholars agree that the US is in developing nation status now, and is an oligarchy. Indeed, these problems are unique problems to developing nations: Mass murders, mass-violence, undereducated populace, horrible healthcare system (look where America’s health care system ranks internationally), rampant homelessness, decreasing average age of death, increasing wealth disparity, mass untreated mental health issues, etc. Where does money in America go? The military, and to the ultra rich.
- Why June 30, 2021 (12:48 am)
  
  Yup. Exactly. Add massive poverty, which isn’t really obvious or overt in Seattle. The forest is not visible, but we can continue to be distracted by the trees.

🤦‍♂️ June 29, 2021 (1:52 pm)

Rinse and repeat. I can’t wait to move. I’m tired of trying to help be the solution to problems. It’s been 25 years for me and my family. Doesn’t matter how many meetings with police or elected leaders, the same thing happens every year. Also if it’s not Alki, it’s homelessness, or something else that’s allowed to fester.

Guy Olson June 29, 2021 (2:11 pm)

RIP to the person that was murdered. Alki Beach Park closes at 11:00, they were in the park after closing. The blame should be put squarely on SPD, and Seattle Parks Department for not enforcing the rules. Might as well defund them, they aren’t protecting and serving like they are paid to do. How sad!!

Gable June 29, 2021 (2:46 pm)

So no blame on people not following the rules? If they had left Alki Beach at 11:00 it would seem this event wouldn’t have happened on Alki. Let’s make people take personal responsibility for rules and stop blaming lack of enforcement.

Mike June 29, 2021 (2:51 pm)

I live nearby and, as others have mentioned, enjoy visiting Alki Beach DURING THE DAY. In fact my wife and I took a bike ride through Alki yesterday and the vibe was very friendly. Alki becomes a snake pit on warm summer evenings. The only sure way to protect yourself and your family is to avoid visiting during these times. This is especially hard for parents of teenagers, who are naturally drawn to the excitement of Alki Beach. Look sharp, stay safe.

Kassandra June 29, 2021 (3:06 pm)

Here is a list of suggestion:
* Create a permanent police presence in Alki. Something like an office or a temporary office.
* Reduce traffic at the beach. High density correlates to high crime. Traffic reduction can be done in multiple ways, one way is oneway streets, enforce zero parking except for deliveries (but provide sufficient parking in a parking house), introduce roundabouts instead of red lights that leads to racing towards the green lights.
* Reduce speed limit – speed correlates to crime too especially when someone tries to escape the crime scene
* Fix the bridge since I heard it leads to frustrations amongst drivers
* Police may control public spaces and require ID to control whether alcohol consumption is happening in a legal way
* Cameras (solar powered) on top of the lights – there are also drones droning around Alki almost every night, what do they see? Publish camera stream, crowdsource evidence discovery like in London.
* Enforce noise ordinance and penalize car dealers enabling illegal car accessories (easiest fix ever)
* Have a centralized place to monitor misdemeanor and remove driver’s license if threshold is hit
* Introduce country-wide rules regarding city, traffic, car design and laws
* Give noise cameras to police, let them improve it (it’s fun, I promise, look at London again)
* Introduce cameras similar to the ones in the tunnel to the city upon entering beach area, either pay up fee to enter or get a ticket auto-sent to your address.
* Introduce car-free weekends on Alki Beach

CR June 29, 2021 (4:34 pm)

This is a very common sense set of suggestions.
Gable June 29, 2021 (5:48 pm)

And the money to pay for all this will come from? Planning to charge admission to people coming to the beach? The City Council will in no way carve out special funds just for Alki Beach. Think about their priorities now.

Mike June 29, 2021 (3:32 pm)

Regarding the firearms aspect of this particular tragedy: while it’s too early to say for sure, it’s very likely the shooter did not purchase this gun legally, nor did they have a concealed pistol license. This was not a case of a legally owned firearm being used aggressively, let alone for self defense. (The news reports indicate that the shooting was preceded by a late-night verbal altercation between two groups…close your eyes and imagine the situation). So before we go adopting more “commonsense gun laws” we should think about whether such laws would have any deterrent effect on this type of shooting, which seems to be the most common type happening in Seattle and other major US cities: macho-based street shootings involving handguns. Ask yourself whether an individual like this shooter would adhere to such laws, and whether the local powers that be would actually enforce them. What we might well consider are strict penalties, (and actual enforcement) for the illegal sale, purchase, transfer, and use of firearms. Oh wait: those laws already exist!

Tom June 29, 2021 (8:48 pm)

There you go with those pesky FACTS again!

WS Resident June 29, 2021 (3:40 pm)

To the comment that defunding the police is the way to go – and saying that beneficial effects are being seen in Portland due to their defunding. I have relatives in Portland and the city is a train wreck. Read the news. Totally out of control. And to the comment that last nights murder was the SPD’s fault because they didn’t clear the park at closing – they would have to be there all night walking up and down the beach writing tickets because the park is never “closed” like other parks with gates. I have watched a thousand times in the past where they tried to clear the park and an hour later new groups arrive. Late at night the police have more important priorities and as bad as last night was – it doesn’t happen enough to warrant an all night every night police presence. They are tasked with protecting roughly 800,000 Seattleites in a 142 sq mile city. And we have tied their hands. So how much time should they spend on a 1/2 mile stretch of mostly peaceful beach bonfire goers and what part of the city should they neglect so they can emphasize Alki? Better believe the neglected neighborhoods would be rightfully screaming. So please at least consider the SPD’s perspective and dilemma before blaming them because they have limitations that we set on them in funding and staffing.

Bradley June 29, 2021 (3:47 pm)

At least our Councilmembers are getting the important stuff done like zoning name changes. Right Lisa, Lorena? Maybe more unanswered letters and phone calls to them need to direct their attention.

F--- Guns June 29, 2021 (4:07 pm)

A civil society and guns don’t mix. Which kind of world would you choose? One where you can live without fear of getting shot or killed or a world where gun violence is the status quo — in public and in the privacy of our homes. Eff the “thoughts and prayers.” Enough guns. Enough gun violence.

Julian June 29, 2021 (11:02 pm)

Taking guns away won’t all of a sudden make all of us 100% safe. I don’t understand why people blame guns entirely and ignore the people who use them? What happens if guns are taken away so instead someone decides to escalate and makes a homemade bomb? It’s way easier to do than it is to purchase any type of firearm in the US. Violence occurs all over the world in many forms against many different types of people. It is human nature and pretending like that isn’t the case is doesn’t solve anything except impact other people’s rights to live their life the way they choose it. The majority of America supports gun rights and ownership, please get over it.

meter June 29, 2021 (4:10 pm)

Disgusting how many people on here are quick to say “It’s not because of guns!! Don’t take my boomstick away!! ): ): ): “There’s more to it than that, but it is a huge part of the equation, and if you are ignoring it. you are part of the problem.

Julian June 29, 2021 (11:04 pm)

It’s disgusting how you belittle people because they don’t agree with you. You have a right to an opinion and so does everyone else. Stop pretending like your’s or any others who share similar beliefs are more correct or legitimate than those that don’t. Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Marcus June 29, 2021 (4:26 pm)

You know I am getting really tired of people saying defunding the police will solve this problem. There are two types of people 1) those who want to do good and grow (many need help and encouragement and that is where community actions help), and of course 2) those who are already gone, angry and think being tough and violent is cool. You need the police to keep the angry, violent people in check and let them know that do the crime do the time. Defunding the police has just increased crime in Seattle and other cities. Fund community services and fund the police.

1WS Resident June 29, 2021 (4:31 pm)

People will say that (almost) every American has the “right to bear arms”. That would apply to uncaught gang bangers as well. So the murders that are occurring daily across the USA must be getting done by members of our “well regulated militias”? PS – I would like to join a well regulated militia but I can’t find any in the Yellow Pages. They must be holding meetings somewhere… And the NRA seems to want no regulations at all, so how does that fit with the requirements of the 2nd Amendment? We already have more guns (300 million+) than people and we make another 7 MILLION new made-in-the-USA guns every year – not counting imports. “Houston – we have a problem”.

What if… June 29, 2021 (6:54 pm)

Similar to what @kassandra said, put a live stream up. Candid camera the whole block. Transparency and accountability can be a culture game changer. It’s a way to democratize intervention and enforcement of civic responsibility. Unlike surveillance cameras where the access is restricted to the government, a candid camera live feed style would be a GREAT social experiment and no better time to try it then in the summer when we know activity like this increases and the rain decreases. I’m talking like a Jumbotron screen with multiple squares of all the views. Non-violent and reasonable public humiliation might work wonders? Not saying this will prevent all violence, there isn’t a solution out there that will. But in the new age of social media and digital citizenship people are sensitive AF to how they are perceived by others, so some non-negotiable ownership and accountability for their behavior could lead to some interesting culture shocks and shifts. Let’s also not act like there isn’t some political and tactical strategy happening on SPDs part with how and when they respond too…Regardless though, the city is growing. Period. You can’t have growth in one area without growth in other areas. So rapid growth in housing, population, resources and need means naturally there will be a growth in all aspects of human behavior and the frequency at which that happens due to density, and conflict is one of the most natural human behaviors. That compounded by this growth happening in a city/county that was and still isn’t equipped to handle that, means naturally we’re gonna have some shit is hitting the fan moments. We can go back and forth over the peripheral issues like guns and police funding and other type of community based interventions that unfortunately have become so politically and ideologically tainted it’s impossible to have any sort of reasonable and robust objective conversation (which I totally respect and understand due to people’s different lives experiences), but until we’re honest about our reality (we are an autonomous and highly individualistic society) and reconcile that with our espoused desire (we want a safe and inclusive harmonious community) then we will forever be missing out re-imagining ways push the bounds and think divergently about how we might design some new ways of engagement. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk hahaha.

WTF June 29, 2021 (10:27 pm)

Let me say it again. You get what you vote for.

Bill June 30, 2021 (2:37 am)

Isn’t that the truth!
ConcernedOnALki June 30, 2021 (9:59 am)

Totally agree.Time to throw them all out, I personally didn’t vote for any of them and won’t in the next cycle.
- This isn’t about guns
- This isn’t about SPD or police funding
- This isn’t about “privileged Alki residents” just complaining
This is all about our elected officials from City Council to the Court SystemI’ve lived on Alki for 12 years, I’m raising a family here. As many have commented, 9 months of the year are amazingly peaceful and tranquil out here and it is a great place to live. The other three months of the year (summer) are always a little crazy, but we recognize that it comes with the territory and is part of what makes this community so unique. That said, this year it really has gotten out of control:
- From the TikTok party
- To the increased trash and vandalism (thanks to whoever added their artistic touch to the bronze seals yesterday)
- To a major increase in property crime (neighbor’s has been broken into at least 4 times this year, my car was stolen on 6/18 in broad daylight and likely by someone who is on work release and has 4 open criminal cases against them <– just ask for more details if you want to know)
- To some jack*** shooting in the direction of Whale Tail Park (a children’s playground) AT 6:15PM (@Alki_2008)
- And now this MURDER
As others have said, if you allow the little things to fester they become much bigger problems.So when will it be enough? Are we waiting for more people to get killed before something is done? I pay an insane amount of taxes to live here and all of the systems that our tax dollars pay for are completely failing. I’m not including SPD in this as it’s been discussed ad nauseam, or gun control as it’s not about gun control (who’s enforcing any of our laws?) Ask yourself:
- How’s our public school system doing?
- How about the roads and bridges?
- How about sanitation?
- How about the courts, are people who are breaking the laws being punished are the victims getting justice?
- How about the homeless situation? Is this improving?
Sure, all of these things are definitely no isolated to Alki, but they are symptomatic of how our elected officials are completely failing us. So what do we do? Any of the suggestions in these comments might help, but there are definitely things we can all do as individuals to help:1) Make your voice heard, contact Lisa Herbold:Lisa Herbold – Council | seattle.govand Mayor Durkan:Mayor Jenny A. Durkan – Mayor | seattle.gov2) Vote on things that actually matter, STOP voting for “feel good” issues that don’t go anywhere, make it clear that if you don’t listen to your constituents then you’re out. Far too many people in this city vote on altruistic hopes for a utopian dreamland while ignoring the issues that actually impact us. Our elected officials currently react to the loudest voices, usually these are not the people who actually put them in office. 3) If you see something, say something. Don’t escalate, but talk to people. If you see someone vandalizing property tell them to stop or you’ll call police. If you don’t feel comfortable confronting the person, call the SPD non-emergency line if it’s not life threatening. If the Alki community comes together and says we’re not going to take this anymore and if our elected officials aren’t going to do anything then we’re going to start taking action ourselves, I get the feeling it will likely start to force some action by the city and at the very least start to send a message that the community isn’t going to tolerate anymore criminal behavior. One idea I love, if anyone is interested, let’s buy a couple of road barricades, set them up on each end of the beach and charge a $5 parking fee for anyone who wants to park on the beach. We use then use that money to hire a private security force. I know this is controversial, but the intent is not to be exclusionary but to get the city to act and establish something official. Oh if funding is an issue for ANYTHING, how about charging for parking on the beach? I don’t see this idea getting the traction it deserves. I hear a lot about how underfunded the city is on all levels (glad my tax dollars are being spent wisely), so why not charge for parking on Alki to pay for a permanent police presence, or a community safety group, or a private security group, or for access control?Bottom line, get out there and vote for what matters and for competent leadership who will take action on the real issues instead of blabbing about how great life would be if we could all just get along.

Ws prayers June 30, 2021 (9:02 am)

https://youtu.be/jo8sxsqaNmQ we all have opinions about what needs to change in our city out state our country reality is this our youth are flooded with this energy this is what is glamorized its catchy honestly even subliminal video games ans i dont want to hear there is no correlation between violent video games and crime the resesrch is scewed becasue of the nra i am a single low income mother of a young man i see it it does it influences it feeds an inmastakeable energy i dont even know the answer of how or if it will change it is getting worse the farther we move away from discipline accountability morales values keep sending messages of do whatever feels good keep separating the gap of those that have ans have not keep desensitizing violence make excuses blame it on guns blame it on defunding the police oh its the right no its the left keep our homes broken stay in denial rationilize justify and somehow make it ok these kids are gonna well they are makomg babies the young man killed was a father…unwed has anothrr life coming into this world who will never meet his father a mother lost her only child it breaks my heart for her its terrifying we gotta do something we do i dont know the what but i promise you its deeper than surface outside stuff we can see and want to control thats whay denial is about if we really want change maybe we need to consider them…the inside…what is going on to make it ok to pull out a weapon and take anyones life? What makes it ok to be so blatantly disobiendent to the laws around them just my own opinion from personal experiences what i see hear have been battling for a number of years now

truth June 30, 2021 (3:12 pm)

lock a bunch of people in a room
lock a bunch of guns in a room
one room always gets violent, one always does nothing…this is logic…only bullies and bigots ignore it when they think they are ‘better’ than others and try to force their personal beliefs on others.

ironic that the freedom to express dislike of guns was earned by using GUNS!

zark00 June 30, 2021 (5:13 pm)

@truth – this is the stupidest comment I have ever read on WSB – ever.
This June 30, 2021 (6:20 pm)

But, no one in the locked people room gets shot, if the guns are all locked in the other room.

That’s the point some are trying to make.

Arguing about the issue of guns isn’t about anyone being better than anyone else. It’s about some not wanting people to shoot each other anymore.