WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Man charged with shooting into neighbor’s house, bail set at $500,000

One week ago tonight, we reported on two incidents of confirmed gunfire in West Seattle. Turns out there was a third gunfire incident that night, and charges are filed against the suspect, who is jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.

39-year-old Daren Atwood is charged with firing a rifle he wasn’t supposed to have, shooting twice into a neighbor’s home near Fairmount Ravine. Police found a bullet that had pierced that house’s walls just feet from where the residents were sleeping. Court documents say Atwood is not supposed to have guns because of a protection order resulting from a conviction for fourth-degree domestic violence; he signed a declaration of non-surrender, saying he didn’t have any guns, though the new court documents say he apparently has owned the rifle since at least 2015. When police made contact with Atwood last Tuesday morning, after the neighbor had called about the gunfire, Atwood reportedly told them someone had tried to shoot him. He consented to a “security sweep” of his house, police say, and that’s when officers found a bolt-action rifle that had been recently fired.

The circumstances of the case are reminiscent of a previous gunfire-related arrest of Atwood on which we reported in 2014, when a SWAT team was called in and five schools sheltered in place because of gunfire in the same neighborhood. Eventually police found Atwood, who claimed he had fired shots because someone was after him; no one was injured, but cars had bullet damage. Atwood was then charged with a misdemeanor that eventually was dismissed. Now after last week’s incident, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged him with second-degree unlawful firearm possession, unlawful firearm discharge, and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled to answer the charges at an arraignment hearing August 9th.

3 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Man charged with shooting into neighbor's house, bail set at $500,000"

  • CJ August 1, 2023 (12:25 am)

    Where/what is Fairmount Ravine? Was this the third round of shots in the alley off Holly St last week, or a separate occurrence? 

  • Huh? August 1, 2023 (5:31 pm)

    “When people show you who they are believe them the first time.” – Maya Angelou.However, not in this case apparently. Instead, don’t believe who they shown you to be or hold accountable and don’t check in. A misdemeanor dismissed after a SWAT response and school lockdowns?! Just doesn’t add up for me.It is possible to charge someone for a crime they committed AND get them mental health support if they need it. Both can be true.Thinking of the neighbors who weren’t hurt physically but must be very shook up.

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