UPDATE: Shooting investigation near east end of West Seattle Bridge

(Added: Reader photo, via text)

2:05 PM: Thanks for the tip. The east end of the West Seattle Bridge is affected by a shooting investigation right now. Seattle Police say, they responded initially to 6th/Spokane for “a report of one person shot inside a vehicle,” adding that “The ramp to the West Seattle Bridge will be blocked while (officers) conduct their investigation.”

2:13 PM: Here’s more context from SDOT on where this happened and how it’s affecting traffic:

We don’t yet have information on the victim’s condition or the circumstances.

2:31 PM: SFD tells us the person who was shot is a 39-year-old man who was transported in stable condition.

2:45 PM: As noted in comments, SDOT says the scene has cleared. No further information otherwise, yet.

3:04 PM: Just in from police via SPD Blotter:

The driver of a vehicle called 911 around 1:30 PM Tuesday afternoon to report that her passenger had been injured in a shooting. Officers contacted the driver and the male victim along the West Seattle Bridge and provided medical aid until Seattle Fire Department medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center.

(Added: SPD photo)

Witnesses stated a suspect in a silver or gray vehicle opened fire on the victim’s vehicle, striking the victim in the shoulder. The suspect then fled. Officer searched the area but were unable to find the suspect vehicle. Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are investigating. If you have any information in this case, please call the tip line at 206-233-5000.

We’re following up to see if there was any indication exactly where on the bridge the shooting happened, before the victim’s vehicle stopped at the east end.

5:13 PM: Police tell us it’s believed to have happened close to where the car the victim was in stopped.

27 Replies to "UPDATE: Shooting investigation near east end of West Seattle Bridge"

  • Flo B November 29, 2022 (2:14 pm)

    WSB. Any word on if the shooter was in the car or was in another car and if this was a road rage incident or targeted.

    • WSB November 29, 2022 (2:45 pm)

      All the information we have so far is above.

  • newnative November 29, 2022 (2:36 pm)

    SDOT Traffic says it cleared 15 minutes ago. 

  • Leroy Jenkins November 29, 2022 (2:57 pm)

    Why has gun fire become the solution for any situation these days??

    • 22blades November 29, 2022 (3:28 pm)

      Because there’s a gun for every single Person, Man, Woman, Camera & TV. No wait, Man, woman, child & then some in the United States of America.

      • Adam November 29, 2022 (6:30 pm)

        That’s not a new thing, the question was why now?

      • K E M November 29, 2022 (7:13 pm)

        Yes: US has 120.5 firearms per 100 residents.The US population is ~330,000,000. A 2018 report by Small Arms Survey (based in Geneva) found that Americans own 393.3 million weapons. 

        • uncle loco November 30, 2022 (5:32 am)

          Wow, almost 400,000,000 guns. It’s a miracle we’re not all dead!

    • James November 29, 2022 (4:41 pm)

      Ban guns and it would help a lot. 

    • Rhonda November 29, 2022 (5:17 pm)

      I doubt the criminal who shot the victim was trying to resolve anything. Rather, they were likely triggered by aggressive driving, hatred, retaliation, or simply acting out in a rage like violent criminals do.

  • East Coast Cynic November 29, 2022 (3:48 pm)

    This shooting has the smell of an attempted hit – firing at an individual in a particular car, then driving away fast.  Hopefully, we’ll get more information from the witnesses and the victim on how this may have transpired. 

  • onion November 29, 2022 (5:28 pm)

    22Blades: It seems more like a gun for every man, child, cat, and dog. Funny how those numbers don’t make us safer or more free. 

  • Jay November 29, 2022 (5:44 pm)

    Strange, I don’t feel any safer or freer. 

    • Adam November 29, 2022 (9:14 pm)

      I do, constantly, because I don’t have to wait in hiding hoping officers arrive in time. But it’s a choice, and I respect your choice to not carry. I just feel safer myself with it

  • cjboffoli November 29, 2022 (8:18 pm)

    Though the wonderfully light traffic on the re-opened West Seattle Bridge has been a delightful surprise, I have to say I’m not happy to find that the backups at that WSB eastbound to I-5 North ramp have returned. Also returning is the steady stream of selfish drivers who by-pass the entire line of patient drivers in order to illegally cut ahead of everyone else. I wouldn’t be surprised if an especially entitled (+psychopathic) driver was the catalyst for this incident. And with no officers available for traffic enforcement these days, not only do all of these scofflaws get away with this abhorrent behavior, but this maniac drives away with impunity as well. Too many stories in the news these days of the bad guys winning.

    • Smoosh November 29, 2022 (8:53 pm)

      It’s hard to say that someone leading such a miserable experience they would become so angry they would shoot at someone over little to nothing is winning.  Their punishment is being stuck between their own ears.  Imagine what the day to day life of someone like that must be like even before the telltale heart starts beating and they have to worry that at any moment justice will reveal itself.  This is a form of justice in and of itself.

  • tim November 29, 2022 (9:08 pm)

    They’ll get him. Traffic cams will have recorded the car.  There’s some good detectives in Seattle. They’ll get him. 

    • MW November 29, 2022 (10:20 pm)

      I hope so. But I was behind a car at a light today and it had no plates (no temporary in the rear window) and all its trim had been removed.  Since I’m not a car expert I just wondered how I’d report that vehicle  if they were involved in a traffic incident.  

    • km November 29, 2022 (11:10 pm)

      Lol.

    • YES2WS November 30, 2022 (6:11 am)

      I would’ve thought so too if not for the cyclist that was intentionally hit last summer. Died at the scene, traffic cameras for the low bridge where it happened, and months later, nothing.  :-(

  • New Salt November 29, 2022 (11:29 pm)

    What is happening here? It feels like we’re sitting in a pot slowly starting to boil with more and more violence and we don’t change anything because “it’s happening everywhere”. Why don’t we have enough high resolution cameras to immediately identify suspects in incidents like this? Why do we not have enough detectives and police to immediately apprehend these individuals? Why do people brandishing and firing guns continually end up back on our streets with no oversight or accountability? Why are we not horrified anytime someone discharges a weapon (designed and marketed to kill humans) at another person? Why do we make it so easy to obtain guns that our society is so saturated with them that it’s trivial for absolutely anyone (sketchy, felon, unstable, or otherwise) to obtain one? Democrats and Republicans each have their own brand of American Violence. Enough!

  • Why November 30, 2022 (10:19 am)

    The same reason we see thousands of human beings living on sidewalks, streets, parks and greenspaces like rats, and no one gives them a second thought until they feel their own safety & security threatened. It’s a systemic problem, and capitalism  is not a compassionate system.  Everyone is out for themselves and only the top dog succeeds.

    • Scarlett November 30, 2022 (5:48 pm)

      “Everyone is out for themselves.”Indeed.  But people just pass over this phrase because it’s become almost a cliched figure of speech and of course it never applies to them.   We have an unelected figure at the Federal Reserve uttering a single comment that can make millions richer (and some poorer) and some have the audacity to claim we live in a “free market” system, a democracy.  More like a rigged corrupt banana republic.  

  • KA November 30, 2022 (1:19 pm)

    How terrifying for the driver and injured passenger! I wish them both comfort and healing during this awful time. And justice.

  • Bill November 30, 2022 (1:20 pm)

    As was said guns for every man, woman, and child in the country. But if guns were the problem,there would be a lot more problems. The single largest problem in this country is mental health. If more were done to address this problem, we would reduce gun violence, homelessness and the general anxiety that many people feel these days.

    • Derek November 30, 2022 (4:03 pm)

      Every country in the world has mental health issues. They don’t all have constant shootings. The common denominator in nations with high levels of gun violence is high levels of guns. 

    • WestSeattleBadTakes December 1, 2022 (8:26 am)

      Poor mental health is more often a symptom of other problems. Food insecurity, housing insecurity, abuse, access to healthcare, education, wage theft, and more.

      To properly address (and prevent) poor mental health we need to address these problems Unfortunately too many in our society do not want to address these issues. This means, these issues will only get worse. The desired action (at least around here), increased policing, may mask it for a time but it isn’t a solution.

      Let’s hope our neighbors drop their reactionary tendencies and truly attempt to understand these problems and the solutions. Given the current state of our culture and education, I don’t have high hope but still a bit of hope.

Sorry, comment time is over.