UPDATE: Deadly shooting on Puget Ridge

| Crime | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

12:43 AM: Seattle Fire has a “scenes of violence” response on the way to the 5200 block of 17th SW, where a man in his 30s is reported to have a gunshot wound to the back. No information yet on circumstances.

1:03 AM: Still no further information. Emergency-radio traffic has been usurped by an unrelated major incident on I-5 in North Seattle, so we might not be able to find out more until later this morning.

1:39 AM: Police now say the man died. They are canvassing nearby residences for security video.

2:27 AM: Still awaiting details. The last deadly shooting in West Seattle was in June, when 56-year-old Anthony Gonzalez was killed in a tent at 26th/Juneau. His accused killer was arrested and charged days later.

(SPD photo)

3:02 AM: Here’s all police are saying about what happened this morning:

At 12:22 a.m., police responded to the 5200 block of 17th Avenue SW for reports of shots heard. Officers arrived and found a man with a gunshot wound inside a residence. Police and Seattle Fire Department medics attempted lifesaving measures, but medics declared the man deceased at the scene.

Members of SPD’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit responded to process the scene for evidence.

Homicide Detectives also responded and will lead the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.

8 AM: Police were still at the scene 7+ hours after the shooting.

Kersti Elisabeth Muul November 3, 2022 (1:28 am)

Police were giving CPR before medics came and cleared them to approach the scene. Additional EMS standing by

Anonymous November 3, 2022 (1:35 am)

Shots fired. 2 men robbed the Airbnb rental and drove off. Police at the scene confirm a fatal shooting. Red tape around crime scene. Investigation underway. Neighbors on the street witnessed the getaway. Black shiny vehicle was the getaway transport. If your cameras picked up anything on 17th 18th or Dawson, please share with the police.

WSB November 3, 2022 (1:41 am)

Yes, police have just confirmed the victim died.
Anonymous November 3, 2022 (3:20 am)

Did the police say it was a robbery? Or are you assuming?
- CommonSenseIsLackingToMany November 3, 2022 (9:55 am)
  
  In that very specific case, whether it was a robbery or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s a murder. Yes, that’s also an assumption. But common sense dictates that someone shooting themselves in the back in the middle of the night to commit a suicide is highly unlikely, and so is an accident.
  - smithy November 3, 2022 (11:23 am)
    
    1) it might matter to the homeowners in the area / 2) if it self defense, its not murder
  - Rhonda November 3, 2022 (11:39 am)
    
    To those of us who live in West Seattle, and ESPECIALLY those who live in the victim’s neighborhood, it absolutely matters if it was a robbery or not. Circumstances are everything in a case like this.
  - ReadingComprehensionLackingToMany November 3, 2022 (11:42 am)
    
    Of course it’s a murder. Everyone knows that. But motives can be very different amongst murders. They can also be premeditated or in the heat of an argument.I suspect this could be a robbery as well, but was simply wondering if that had been confirmed.Sounds like it hasn’t been confirmed.
    - WSB November 3, 2022 (1:44 pm)
      
      Police have not released any information about the circumstances. I went back and re-listened to all the related audio, and nothing was said over the air – in this case it was called in as a “shots fired” and when officers got there, they discovered someone had been shot. All else said over the air was logistics. We went back *again* around 11:15 and detectives were still on scene, which is a much longer time span than often seen, even at homicide scenes, but hard to read anything in particular into that.
  - WSResident November 3, 2022 (12:37 pm)
    
    It sure does matter. Why would facts about a case not matter? Someone randomly getting shot is different then someone breaking and entering and getting shot. As someone who lives in the area a random shooting much different then a targeted shooting.
  - Neighbor November 3, 2022 (1:15 pm)
    
    It’s reasonable to ask about motive. Did they set out to kill or just rob a house they thought was empty? It makes a big difference to the rest of us to understand how dangerous these two really are. That’s just “common sense”.
Alki November 3, 2022 (11:42 am)

I was looking at my parents camera footage they live on 16th near the college. Hard to see details but there is a black vehicle driving somewhat fast down 16th going towards Myrtle street. I can’t quite make out type of vehicle maybe mid sized SUV or sedan. The timing makes me suspicious as it’s driving away from that area at about 12:27am. I will get in touch with SW precinct and submit footage.
- Anonymous November 3, 2022 (7:08 pm)
  
  That’s most likely the vehicle. My camera captured the gun shots audio and the vehicle speeding down 17th and up Dawson to 16th. My front door camera didn’t show any other vehicles heading to 16th from Dawson. I dont think this was a random shooting also may have sounded like two different guns involved from my camera audio.Unfortunately I don’t have any visual footage due to camera angle but I’ve already turned them in to the authorities.

Cranky November 3, 2022 (11:55 am)

Problem with getting shot in the back is that prosecutors will generally come after whoever pulled the trigger. They take a dim view of a self defense plea when the dead person is facing away from them.

Rhonda November 3, 2022 (2:01 pm)

If the attacker is armed and threatening someone else a back shot can be justified. It’s when an attacker is fleeing and not a threat to anyone that a back shot is never justified.
- Cranky November 3, 2022 (7:02 pm)
  
  Yes, that’s true. Some circumstances may fit getting shot in the back. That’s why I said “generally” that it’s hard to claim self defense if you nail a human in that back. I guess we’ll find out more about what actually happened, besides conjecture. Or, since he died, maybe the story will be hard to determine. Police at the scene can look for a struggle, chaos that would maybe fit self defense. But for now, this sounds like murder, shooting and leaving. Maybe robbery but no details are evident from the report up above. Guess we’ll see.

Audifans November 3, 2022 (12:06 pm)

5 or 6 shots heard, according to witness. So they sort of unloaded big time into this guy,hitting him once in the back

WseaCitizen November 3, 2022 (6:16 pm)

Yes there are good cops and bad cops and obviously we want more good cops than bad and almost importantly we want all who choose to serve to do so with good intentions and good morality. But most importantly I think it goes left unsaid the hero’s that serve. They enter dangerous situations first and provide life saving measures until a scene is cleared and deemed safe for our firefighters and medics to then enter the area after the fact. We need to give more credit to these officers who are always first on scene of these dangerous and sometimes deadly scenes and are the first to attempt to save lives. Defund police movement was an epic failure, can we place more money from the budget into other things like crime prevention programs, helping juveniles as well as those with less resources and put more into mental health services? Absolutely ! But we also need a fully funded, fully staffed highly qualified police department because they and they alone are the ones who will respond to the hoses dangerous situations and will always be the first on scene to attempt to save lives. Let’s change the narrative in our city and become a city that supports police who serve with the best of intentions and pay them accordingly.. This is the 2nd shooting in W Seattle within a week, it’s time we all support our police department and their bravery and thank SPD officers when we see them in our community! Hell, buy them a coffee if you get the chance, let them know the loudest who said to defund and push officers to flee for other departments are few and far in between and there are plenty of us who recognize their important role in our society and the sacrifices they make daily!

Mel November 3, 2022 (7:27 pm)

Yes to all of this!
Bill November 4, 2022 (6:54 am)

I’m not aware of them apprehending either shooter. You?

17th Ave Resident November 4, 2022 (7:08 am)

Any updates on this incident? I’ve been trying to keep with the spd blotter but nothing beats wsb reporting!

WSB November 4, 2022 (11:14 am)

Unfortunately, when there’s no arrest, there’s generally no further public info unless SPD decides they need to say something in particular for investigative purposes. (Putting out a photo of someone they’re looking for, etc.) When someone is arrested, information comes out quickly via public court documents. However, there are a couple of community meetings next week at which there may be precinct reps (Admiral Neighborhood Association and Fauntleroy Community Association, both next Tuesday night) at which someone certainly could ask a question, which would potentially elicit a bit of new info (as with our Alki followups earlier this week) – TR

Curious November 4, 2022 (9:55 am)

I think the key thing is that if people perceive their immediate quality of life is being impacted negatively (people are busy with their lives and often aren’t going to be thinking about the big picture all the time – they just want to be able to get through their day), that’s going to end up swaying how people vote if enough of them feel that quality of life has dropped. Not to say they don’t care about the bigger issues, but there’s a tightrope as to how much of their own perceived security they’re willing to sacrifice for change before they grow impatient. It’s just human nature.

Rhonda November 4, 2022 (12:59 pm)

Life and death (not being a victim of violent crime) is the biggest issue there is. Nothing else matters when one is facing violent criminals who are trying to rape, rob, kidnap, or murder them.

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