You might have heard about what police called a “road rage” shooting death on 4th Avenue South near Costco one week ago.
We now know the 68-year-old man who was killed, Bob Jensen, had deep roots in West Seattle.
The man who shot and killed him called 911 to report what he’d done. But police haven’t arrested him – they’re looking for more witnesses to help them clarify what happened and whether it was a crime.
Mr. Jensen’s longtime friend David Katt tells WSB he had just seen him the preceding Saturday, at their 50-year reunion for Chief Sealth‘s Class of 1972 – Mr. Jensen, he says, was also an alum of Fauntleroy Elementary and Denny Junior High – so old-school Seattle, he was a “Patches Pal,” as the photo at right underscores. According to Katt, Mr. Jensen cared daily for his elderly mother, “bought groceries for his 96-year-old neighbor, volunteered at the Hydroplane Museum, Ski Patrol … (and was) loved by many in the West Seattle community. We are searching for answers. The lack of an arrest is incomprehensible.”
Police say they got the call at 10:13 am last Thursday (July 21st), that a man had been shot in the 4400 block of 4th Avenue South. They found Mr. Jensen, who had been shot in the abdomen. He died at Harborview Medical Center. One of the 911 calls came from the 38-year-old man who shot him, who police say “remained on scene to provide a statement.” Police say witnesses reported the two men “had been involved in a road-rage incident that escalated to a confrontation, and then a shooting.” They seized the other man’s gun as evidence, but did not arrest him.
Now, they’re looking for more people who may have seen the shooting. Their update says, “There were many vehicles stopped on 4th Avenue South when the shooting occurred, and detectives believe the occupants of those vehicles may include witnesses. Nearby surveillance camera footage shows multiple cars in the area — including vehicles similar to a Lexus SUV, a Toyota Highlander, and a Toyota RAV4.” Here’s an image they’re circulating:
The police call for witnesses says, “If you were in any of the cars identified in these photos, or were stopped in traffic nearby and witnessed any portion of this incident, please call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000 or email SPD_homicide@seattle.gov.”
Mr. Jensen’s friends are hoping for information too, to know what could possibly have happened that led to the violent death of a man they knew as selfless: “Bob was a very skilled carpenter, plumber, welder, electrician. Would work oftentimes for no fee,” says Katt, who adds that his understanding is that Mr. Jensen was unarmed. Police have not released further details about the reported circumstances.
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