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‘Accidental gunfire’ damages West Seattle Junction apartments, business

January 10, 2022 11:56 am
|      88 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

From the weekend Seattle Police log, a case described as “accidental gunfire” – no one was hurt, but two apartments and a business were damaged. Police were called to an apartment building in the 4700 block of 42nd SW just after noon Sunday to investigate. According to the report narrative, here’s what happened: A resident had bought himself a Colt .357 King Cobra pistol for Christmas. He was “in his living room, examining his pistol, taking out rounds and placing them back into the pistol with a speed loader. (He) intended to dry-fire his pistol to an adjacent wall, not realizing the pistol was still loaded, and fired.” The bullet went through the wall, into the apartment next door, through a closet at a business in the building, then “clipping a TV mounted on the outer wall,” finally stopping underneath a chair. The gun owner went to the building leasing office to report what happened, and from there 911 was called. The resident of the apartment next door wasn’t home at the time; her dog was there and wasn’t hurt. After talking with everyone involved and taking photos of the damage, police say they “spoke with (the gun owner) about the importance of firearm safety, which he said he understood.” He had placed the gun in a cabinet after the incident.

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88 Replies to "'Accidental gunfire' damages West Seattle Junction apartments, business"

  • Auntie January 10, 2022 (12:13 pm)

    I’m thinking this idiot and any others who gift themselves guns need to take a gun safety course first thing. Before they try to load or unload the gun. Before they shoot themselves in the foot – or worse. Sheesh!

    • Dan January 10, 2022 (2:51 pm)

      I think a safety course should be REQUIRED

      • Connor January 10, 2022 (3:15 pm)

        Yes, or just limit to prior military or law enforcement. You can take a “training” course but they are pretty worthless to be honest. Needs to be more extensive training. 

        • Rhonda January 10, 2022 (11:49 pm)

          No one gets more training than police, but the following video shows that foolish handling still occurs despite constant training. https://youtu.be/am-Qdx6vky0

  • flimflam January 10, 2022 (12:16 pm)

    Wow. So you just get a “whoopsie” after firing a gun into a wall in your apartment? Wow. Wow. Wow.

    • S-rant January 13, 2022 (5:05 am)

      Whoopsie! It should be tough to purchase a gun but it seems like it’s actually super easy, barely an inconvenience…

  • Brian January 10, 2022 (12:24 pm)

    Why didn’t they confiscate his gun? Dude clearly does not know what he’s doing with it and shouldn’t be allowed to continue owning a firearm until he proves otherwise. 

    • Rhonda January 10, 2022 (2:47 pm)

      For the same reason they don’t take your car away when you accidentally put your bumper through your neighbor’s wall. On top of that, it’s every American’s Constitutional right to own firearms, not cars, trucks, minivans, or SUVs. This person probably owns multiple firearms, anyway.

      • Brian January 10, 2022 (3:30 pm)

        You realize that saying “for the same reason we don’t take cars away” and then immediately following that up with a reason firearms are different than cars make you look like you have no idea what you’re trying to say, right?

      • sb January 10, 2022 (4:32 pm)

        There are things that used to be in the constitution, but aren’t any more. An automatic right to owning firearms shouldn’t be either.  This idiot is a case in point.

      • Question Mark January 10, 2022 (4:37 pm)

        Re: “This person probably owns multiple firearms, anyway.”That statement by itself should strike fear into the heart of every safety-loving American.

        • Pessoa January 11, 2022 (8:34 pm)

          “Safety-loving American,” pretty much sums it up.  Sacrifice everything,  including your liberty and the liberty of others, in order to feel safe.  

      • The gun itself January 10, 2022 (5:16 pm)

        I forgot about the constitutional amendment gives me the liberty to discharge my firearm into my neighbor’s dwelling, endangering their lives and damage their property. Thanks for reminding me though.

      • Thomas Andrew Wood January 10, 2022 (8:07 pm)

        This isn’t about the right to bear arms! This is about reckless endangerment.

        • Rick_WS January 11, 2022 (1:32 pm)

          The only reasonable answer posted. Thank you Thomas!

  • Kravitz January 10, 2022 (12:25 pm)

    Good lord, this idiot supposedly understands the importance of firearm safety? Just think of how many lives could’ve changed by this one, completely irresponsible and foolish action. Go learn how to use your new present at a safe location, perhaps a gun range. 

  • Anne January 10, 2022 (12:27 pm)

    Really few words to express how unbelievably careless this was.Just glad this persons “now” understanding of gun safety didn’t come at the expense of an injury or worse . 

  • CarDriver January 10, 2022 (12:31 pm)

    And gun lovers wonder why people want gun control.

  • wendell January 10, 2022 (1:00 pm)

    Idiot. 

  • sam-c January 10, 2022 (1:02 pm)

    Oh Yikes! Thank goodness no-one was hurt

  • This gives me anxiety January 10, 2022 (1:05 pm)

    If it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun, who’s taking care of the careless guy with a gun?

    • Wendell January 10, 2022 (4:26 pm)

      A good guy with spackle?

      • Resident January 11, 2022 (11:01 pm)

        Now that was funny!!

  • miws January 10, 2022 (1:09 pm)

    The police misspelled “Negligent”. So, he was allowed to keep the gun (and any others he may have), and wasn’t arrested and booked? —Mike

  • valvashon January 10, 2022 (1:10 pm)

    How about now?  Is now a good time to start confiscating the guns?  Clearly America has no idea how to handle themselves around a firearm.  “He placed the gun in a cabinet”.  That should make the person next door feel super safe.

    • StopCuttingDownTrees January 10, 2022 (3:58 pm)

      When I was a child in Cambodia, the government confiscated everyone’s guns. Then we were over-run by the Khmer Rouge and had to escape to Thailand with only the clothes we were wearing because no one had guns to fight back. Millions were tortured and killed. Thank God we have our U.S. Constitution and Second Amendment  to protect Americans from such a nightmare here.

      • somewhat outgunned January 10, 2022 (6:29 pm)

        I don’t know what fantasy world you live in but, for better or worse, if the government comes for you it won’t matter how many guns you have.  But if it helps you sleep at night, keep believing it.

        • StopCuttingDownTrees January 10, 2022 (10:03 pm)

          Like how the biggest military machine in history was chased out of Afghanistan by illiterate men living in caves armed with Cold War surplus rifles and 70 year-old ammo?

        • Pessoa January 10, 2022 (10:20 pm)

          I think we’re all talking about something so serious as to galvanize a very significant number of Americans of various political stripes in armed opposition.  Very unlikely, but it could happen.  I still cling to the notion that, in the end, we will find some way to accommodate each other peacefully, difficult as it may be.  

      • Pessoa January 10, 2022 (8:09 pm)

        Thank you for that historical reminder midst this authoritarian anti-gun freak-out.     

      • bill January 10, 2022 (8:35 pm)

        Right. Grandma with her .38 is going to deter a professional and ideologically-motivated army. In Cambodia there was the little matter of the US “secret bombing” that destabilized the country in the first place.

        • GoodSpaceGal January 11, 2022 (12:43 pm)

          Well, the collapsing government in Cambodia took away .38s from grandmas (as well as everyone else) so the Khmer Rouge had practically no resistance from anyone. If every Cambodian had a little .38, there wouldn’t have been the horrific genocide in the late-70s.

  • E January 10, 2022 (1:13 pm)

    My stepfather, who was an avid hunter, always said there’s nothing more dangerous than an “unloaded” gun.

  • Regular Guy January 10, 2022 (1:14 pm)

    What a complete moron. Learn the rules of firearm safety. He should be arrested, that could have resulted in death.

    • a January 10, 2022 (4:49 pm)

      Arrested under which law? Good thing, you are not a cop, because you would have falsely arrested someone based on your feelings and violate a citizen’s Constitutional right!

      • Lisa January 10, 2022 (6:35 pm)

        Um, reckless endangerment? Even someone driving a car into a tree, with no one being hurt, gets some sort of fine, ticket or punishment. If he were my tenant, out he’d go.

      • bill January 10, 2022 (8:38 pm)

        Reckless endangerment had the neighbor been home. RCW 9A.36.050. The neighbor may have grounds to sue for civil damages.

      • The gun itself January 10, 2022 (8:54 pm)

        The constitutional right to recklessly and negligently endanger other’s lives and cause property damage. That’s certainly a real constitutional right.

  • shotinthefoot January 10, 2022 (1:21 pm)

    WOW. Sounds like this genius shouldn’t be around any kind of firearm, ever. Clearly not smart enough, and will definitely kill someone the next time he’s playing around with his “toy”. What an absolute moron. This is precisely the type of idiot who should not have a gun because they’re not smart or responsible enough. 

  • KT January 10, 2022 (1:22 pm)

    If that was my tenant I would be breaking his lease asap under the endangerment section.

  • Jort January 10, 2022 (1:23 pm)

    In America, you can be so careless and indifferent to human life that you discharge a weapon designed specifically to end the lives of human beings into your neighbors’ walls and the police will say, “just put it in a cabinet, sonny!” I wish I could say this story is unbelievable, but, sadly, it is not. Here we also see the police, who police-fanboys say are here to “protect” us, willfully and happily ensure that an admitted and demonstrated careless firearm owner is allowed to retain his killing weapon with no more consequences than what appears to be the equivalent of the most useless firearms safety pamphlet ever tossed onto the coffee table. We are the only developed country in the world that “tolerates” this.

  • StopCuttingDownTrees January 10, 2022 (1:24 pm)

    SPD should’ve given him a citation for buying a Colt King Cobra. I had one in the 90s and it was an incredibly poorly-made piece of junk.

  • Peter January 10, 2022 (1:24 pm)

    This was in no way “accidental.” Loading and firing a gun both require intentional action by a human being, no gunshot is ever “accidental,” period. Why isn’t this sociopath in jail?

    • Lucy January 10, 2022 (4:37 pm)

      Ask Alec Baldwin.  

  • vlt January 10, 2022 (1:29 pm)

    How stupid & careless of the gun owner!  He could have killed someone!

  • Guns are the coolest January 10, 2022 (1:50 pm)

    Wow, that gun sure did make the life of that man and everyone around him safer. 

  • StupidinSeattle January 10, 2022 (1:56 pm)

    The 4 basics of gun safety:1. Always assume the gun is loaded.  Even if you don’t see a bullet in the chamber.2. Never point the gun at anything you don’t want to destroy.3. Don’t put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire.4.  Be aware of everything around and behind your target.Do these and you will never have gun accidents.

  • HarborIslandworker January 10, 2022 (2:18 pm)

    Where are the repercussions for people when these type of things happen.. something at least. WSB did you ever find out any more information about the two cars that were involved in the shooting down at the Chelan five way intersection. Discharging a firearm in our community regardless if it’s an accident or intentional needs to be taken seriously.

  • Jay January 10, 2022 (2:46 pm)

    That’s not an accidental discharge. This is called negligence. Dry firing a 357 hand cannon at a thin apartment wall while practicing speed reloads is criminal negligence.

  • Also John January 10, 2022 (2:48 pm)

    I see a Darwin award winner on the horizon. The police should’ve immediately confiscated the 357.  Give it back only after he completes a gun safety course.

  • KM January 10, 2022 (2:54 pm)

    Is there a chance that he could be charged later on endangerment and property destruction? 

    • WSB January 10, 2022 (3:11 pm)

      Yes, the fact someone is not cited or charged at the time of contact does NOT necessarily mean they never will be.

  • Omg really January 10, 2022 (2:57 pm)

    He should have been charged with assault on the dog.  So glad nobody was hurt and please take this gun away from him,  before he goes out and hurts someone. 

  • Gina January 10, 2022 (3:00 pm)

    Demote back to a Nerf gun.

    • mjc January 10, 2022 (3:43 pm)

      Gina wins the comments for the day!

  • Mellow Kitty January 10, 2022 (3:57 pm)

    Ah yes. Another responsible gun owner. 

  • Ly January 10, 2022 (4:08 pm)

    IDIOT.He could have killed someone.

  • CarDriver January 10, 2022 (5:11 pm)

    Rhonda; A. I take it if that was YOUR wall that was shot through it would be a non issue for you?? You would absolutely not want any charges brought. After all he was simply exercising his “constitutional rights”.  

    • Rhonda January 10, 2022 (7:25 pm)

      Accidents happen, CarDriver. I forgave the woman who hit my truck and left me a nice note. I called her and told her not to worry about it and got it fixed myself. I also forgave the uninsured driver who hit my brand-new car at Panda Express. He explained that he was going through hard times and the damage was cosmetic so I repaired it myself. The man in this incident went to the leasing office and reported the accident. He could’ve kept silent, repaired the damage, played dumb, and that would’ve been the end of it. So, yes, if it was my apartment and my wall I would’ve let it go as there was ZERO malice or violence involved.

      • anonyme January 11, 2022 (7:11 am)

        The notion that bullet holes through multiple walls and a spent round next to a damaged TV would simply go unnoticed and untraced as long as the perpetrator simply “played dumb” is, well, dumb.  Stupidity kills just as easily as malice; the intent is irrelevant.

        • Pessoa January 11, 2022 (10:03 am)

          Anonyme: Intent is a crucial component of our legal system and of any fair society.  

          • anonyme January 12, 2022 (7:31 am)

            My point is not in regard to law, but that the victim is just as dead – regardless of intent.  Negligence is also a crucial component in the legal system of a fair society.  BTW Pessoa, I don’t know if your nom de plume is simply a direct translation from Portugese, or if it is more broadly based on the work of Fernando Pessoa, but I thank you for leading me to the latter.  His views on personhood are fascinating, and I’m now reading The Book of Disquiet.  A day without learning something is gray indeed, so thanks for the inspiration.  I never would have found him if not for curiousity about your handle.

  • WSDUDEMAN January 10, 2022 (5:30 pm)

    I had no idea Alec moved into the neighborhood.

  • GoodSpaceGal January 10, 2022 (5:32 pm)

    This guy is still not as dangerous as the person who leaves a candle burning when they go to the store and burn the ENTIRE apartment building down.

  • Raye January 10, 2022 (5:33 pm)

    He bought himself a crappy gun for Christmas? WWJD? Nothing expresses the true spirit of Christmas like a gun. /s and SMH

  • Mj January 10, 2022 (6:05 pm)

    The person quickly took ownership of their accident, very careless.  Fortunately no one was hurt and hopefully the careless gun owner is required to pay all the monetary costs to repair the damages.

  • ITotallyAgreeWithYou January 10, 2022 (7:16 pm)

    He pointed the gun at his neighbor’s wall and pulled the trigger. Rights come with responsibilities. If you can’t be responsible, you don’t have the right.

  • CarDriver January 10, 2022 (7:20 pm)

    Stopcuttingdowntrees. Are you that worried you sit by the window with your gun believing  “they’re coming for me any minute now”.  That’s scary-for the rest of us.

    • StopCuttingDownTrees January 10, 2022 (10:17 pm)

      No. We have roughly 100 million armed Americans, and most military members are gun owners themselves, so I highly doubt I’ll be having to escape the U.S., too.

    • Pessoa January 11, 2022 (4:12 pm)

      The folklore that you’ve created about your neighbors is far more unnerving. 

  • Rat city boy January 10, 2022 (7:22 pm)

    Anyone know what building exactly. The address would make it the junction 47 apartments I’m assuming. 

    • WSB January 10, 2022 (8:51 pm)

      Sorry, various identifying details were redacted before we received the narrative, as is SOP. There are two buildings in the 4700 block of 42nd, Junction 47 and Mural. A brief version of the police report described the affected business as a “salon” but that doesn’t narrow it down, as both buildings have salons.

  • RickB January 10, 2022 (8:23 pm)

    Repeal 2A. It’s time.

    • Pessoa January 11, 2022 (7:30 pm)

      The legislative hurdle to repeal a U.S. constitutional amendment is far too high, thankfully.  For one, you would need a two-thirds majority of both the Senate and House, and the ratification by  three quarters of the states.    

  • CarDriver January 10, 2022 (8:47 pm)

    Pessoa. I take it these comments will make you run out and buy more guns and ammo to “protect” yourself from…..?? 

    • Jort January 11, 2022 (9:56 am)

      How do you “protect” yourself from somebody shooting a firearm through your wall while you’re sitting on the couch? Even if you’re sitting by the window, constantly watching for threats that require you to dispense a summary death sentence, what if they shoot through the wall behind you?!?!?! Gun nuts are man-boys with a ridiculous hobby. The sole purpose of firearms is to end life. It’s weird that people get so defensive of their supposed, tacky “right” to end lives.

  • Just wondering January 11, 2022 (10:56 am)

    A friend of mine (a hunter) told me a story about a gun safety class for young people.  The teacher had them stand in line and pass a mouse trap from one to the other.  They passed it very carefully and slowly to the next in line.  Then he had them pass an unloaded hand gun down the line.  It was done quickly without really paying attention to how it was held or aimed.He asked them why they were more careful with the mouse trap then the gun.  I have always thought this was a good way to make them think and be aware.

  • Michael Ostrogorsky January 11, 2022 (12:21 pm)

    Always glad to know that more guns makes people safer! 

  • LivesInWS January 11, 2022 (3:00 pm)

    “He had placed the gun in a cabinet after the incident.”Gun loaded or unloaded? Cabinet locked or unlocked? SMH

  • Scc January 11, 2022 (7:31 pm)

    If I was the neighbor I would have pressed charges. That is horrifying. A great way to make people feel unsafe in their homes. 

  • zark00 January 13, 2022 (1:14 pm)

    Neighbors should sue him for willful attempted manslaughter.

  • Pessoa January 14, 2022 (4:16 pm)

    @Anonyme (and fellow literati): Thanks for the kind words.  Yes, it is indeed Fernando Pessoa.  It was quite a revelation when I stumbled across him some years ago,  quite unlike anyone else I had ever read.  One reviewer aptly characterized his writing as “etchings” of the soul.   “Book of Disquiet,” is his magnus opus, both brilliant and unsettling.   I can’t think of a book that has made more of an impression on me over the years.  Cheers.

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