UPDATE: Police investigate after Chief Sealth student dies of gunshot wound at Southwest Pool/Teen Life Center across the street

2:02 PM Here’s what we’ve found out about the major emergency response at Southwest Athletic Complex/Teen Life Center. It was dispatched as a self-inflicted gunshot wound that happened at an undetermined location, with the victim showing up at the Teen Life Center. We are at the scene – more information as we get it.

2:11 PM: The center and adjacent Southwest Pool are closed because of the investigation. We’re still awaiting information at the scene. As noted in comments, the two schools across the street – Chief Sealth IHS and Denny IMS – are sheltering in place.

2:25 PM: From police radio – the schools wondered if they need to keep sheltering in place; police responded that the issue right now is that there is still an “outstanding firearm.”

2:39 PM: Per police radio, Denny will dismiss on time but they’re going to attempt to keep students away from the area where the investigation continues. (Added: A parent tells us the school also has messaged families that afterschool activities are canceled.) Meantime, Police Chief Adrian Diaz is there.

2:51 PM: We’re told Chief Diaz will brief us soon.

3:03 PM: The chief says the victim has died and that police are still investigating the circumstances of the shooting. When emergency responders arrived, they found the victim in a restroom at the center. He confirmed that they are still looking for the gun. SFD says the victim was a 14-year-old boy.

3:55 PM: Here’s our video of everything Chief Diaz said:

5:30 PM: Still a significant police presence at the center/pool/SWAC area.

6:28 PM: A message to Chief Sealth and Denny families says the 14-year-old was a CSIHS student. The message also says SPD “is investigating and working with the district’s Safety and Security team. Both schools will be open tomorrow. Students will see an increased presence of police and school security staff at and around their campuses.”

1:35 PM WEDNESDAY: We asked SPD several followup questions, including whether the gun had been found. The reply: “No new information as of yet.”

124 Replies to "UPDATE: Police investigate after Chief Sealth student dies of gunshot wound at Southwest Pool/Teen Life Center across the street"

  • Roh January 23, 2024 (2:06 pm)

    Hearing from my student at Denny that they have a shelter in place. 

    • Student of summit atlas January 23, 2024 (10:30 pm)

      yo so im. A student of summit atlas and lemme tell u the real story because i was in the gym with my class, me and my friends walked in and we notice sum weird nobody was there and we heard like moaning and crying but we thought nothing abt that so we just walked along with it but i was just going to the vedning machine and guess what i see a student died on the floor and my teach was like come down here now but when we walked out police escorted my class out and told us this is a active crime scene and we had 4 king5 news people here and dectives but the saddest part was his mom and his dad crying on the floor 

  • John Cena fr January 23, 2024 (2:12 pm)

    Sealth is in shelter in place rn

  • B January 23, 2024 (2:14 pm)

    DIMS parent here – just received a text stating they are shelter-in-place.

  • Mike January 23, 2024 (2:16 pm)

     I was there at the pool and its not a “scene of violence” Your title is misleading at best. 

    • WSB January 23, 2024 (2:48 pm)

      That is the official SFD categorization of the incident and we often use that in initial reports when it’s not clear what happened. We’ll be updating when we get a little more clarity on what they are investigating.

    • Marie January 23, 2024 (3:32 pm)

      I was at the front desk leaving the pool when the gunshot happened in the men’s restroom by the front door. The victim was laying in the doorway of the men’s restroom!! It was very much a scene if violence!!

      • Judy January 24, 2024 (7:07 am)

        Marie, I’m so sorry you saw that. I’m sure it felt awful and impacted you. Take care of yourself and talk to someone if you need to. 

      • Marina January 24, 2024 (1:32 pm)

        Marie, would you mind stopping at the front desk next time you come in or contacting the police? If you were the last customer I was talking to when the gunshot went off, they are interested in talking to you! 

      • Donna January 24, 2024 (5:54 pm)

        I don’t understand why they didn’t tell us to leave, the instructor Jackson was in shock after giving CPR to the victim and he still taught the class, people’s cars were held hostage in the parking lot, what a surprise to come out to a crime scene.  

    • Kravitz January 23, 2024 (3:45 pm)

      @mike – So now that the teen has died  from the misleading “Scene of violence” what do you have to say? Death from a gunshot wound sounds pretty violent to me. It never fails to amuse me how so many people seem to know more than those actually reporting the incidents. 

      • Teri January 23, 2024 (6:34 pm)

        Kravitz… well said!  Gun violence is violence!

    • Alki resident January 23, 2024 (4:14 pm)

      Realtime911 shows “ scenes of violence “, and that’s exactly what they found when they got there. 

    • whataboutthecreedence January 23, 2024 (4:25 pm)

      A boy died, Jesus man.

    • miws January 23, 2024 (4:46 pm)

      Mike, anybody that has been reading WSB for any decent length of time will know, that where applicable, they will quote the SFD description of the call, at least until circumstances change in a way that the headline should be re-worded. They are decades-long professional journalists,. Your accusation of them being “misleading” is uncalled for. —Mike

    • Rhonda January 23, 2024 (5:48 pm)

      Mike, a 14 year-old dying in a public restroom from a gunshot wound is about the most violent scene there is.

    • Savanna January 23, 2024 (6:34 pm)

      I go to cheif sealth just because you were at the pool does not mean there wasn’t violence involved if a teen died that means there was violence involved around the area where the school is it isn’t safe cause this is not the first time police were at the school or near the school

    • Hammer in Hand January 23, 2024 (7:47 pm)

      This is a term that Seattle Fire uses to Id a call involving violence of any kind gun or otherwise it has nothing to do with what you may have witnessed inside the building

      • WSB January 23, 2024 (10:17 pm)

        Close. It’s most often used if the incident is believed to involve a weapon of some kind – gun, knife, shard of glass … The classification was previously “assault with weapons.” (We noted the change in 2018.)

  • J January 23, 2024 (2:21 pm)

    Incident was at the community center. Denny/Sealth shelter in place as a precaution.

  • JK January 23, 2024 (2:37 pm)

    DIMS teacher here, at school. We are safe and sound, going about our regular studies. Students are finishing a writing assignment and we’ve explained the potential delayed dismissal. No immediate danger here and students are responding maturely! 

    • B January 23, 2024 (2:55 pm)

      @JK – thank you!

  • Jj January 23, 2024 (3:18 pm)

    Just walked by. That is most police I’ve ever seen at SW Community Center.

  • WS mom January 23, 2024 (3:19 pm)

    Terribly sad. 

  • KM January 23, 2024 (3:19 pm)

    I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you get the support you need. 

  • Rocky Bullwinkle January 23, 2024 (3:27 pm)

    14…tragic. :(

  • Meryl January 23, 2024 (3:33 pm)

    This is incredibly sad. My heart goes out to his family. 

  • JJ January 23, 2024 (3:35 pm)

    I’m so sorry for the loss of this child.  Wishing his family and loved ones peace. Just so terribly sorry and sad for him and our community. 

  • Alki resident January 23, 2024 (3:41 pm)

    So the kid was shot or accidentally shot himself, tossed the gun and ran to the pool? This is so sad

    • WSB January 23, 2024 (4:02 pm)

      We have added the video from the chief’s (short) briefing. He arrived there with “other youth” who then left. Obviously finding the gun would help them determine whether homicide, suicide, accident … But so far this is all they are saying,

      • Kersti Muul January 23, 2024 (4:18 pm)

        Can also look for GSR on victim,  trajectory of wounds and other things to establish.Pretty sh—-y they left.Many thanks to the community center/pool workers who responded before emergency folks arrived. Traumatizing 

        • Marina January 23, 2024 (4:53 pm)

          I was one of the civilian first responders. I pointed out two kids to police, and those kids remained on scene to answer questions. In the last moments, one of the kids kept saying “I love you, I love you” to his friend. I had other things I was thinking about at the time that took priority, but now that I have time to reflect, I’m really grateful for him and his words to his friend. We might have been trying to save his life, but we were strangers. I hope the victim heard his friend and that he knew he wasn’t alone.  

          • sad January 23, 2024 (6:00 pm)

            My thoughts are with you. Thanks for trying to help this poor boy.  Do you work at the Teen Life Center?

          • Marina January 23, 2024 (7:36 pm)

            @sad: No, I work for the pool. 

          • Alki resident January 23, 2024 (6:33 pm)

            Uhg this breaks my heart to hear that. Those kids lives have forever changed. 

          • Thank you January 23, 2024 (6:43 pm)

            Thank you for what you did, Marina.. I am sorry you witnessed this but grateful for your actions…

          • Charly January 23, 2024 (6:56 pm)

            Marina, thank you for being there and doing whatever you could. This is such a tragedy but I’m grateful for you and all those that tried to help. 

          • Nearby neighbor and Momma January 23, 2024 (10:31 pm)

            Thank you so much for everything you did to help. I’m glad the friend’s words were there for you, him, and us. You sharing that means so much in this horrendously tragic event. Praying comfort and healing is available to you, the community, and his dear family and friends. 

          • D-Mom January 23, 2024 (10:44 pm)

            This breaks my heart. Thank you for being there and sharing your experience. Thinking about this child and those who loved him. 

          • Pelicans January 24, 2024 (1:13 am)

            Dear Marina,

            Thank you for your response to this situation. It’s an awful thing that we all know will stay with you. We are all so thankful that you and the child saying “I love you” were there with this boy in his last moments. God bless you all, and healing prayers sent for you.

          • BDR January 24, 2024 (3:19 pm)

            Marina, Thank you for doing what you could for the boy. I hope your words will give the family some bit of comfort, knowing their child was not alone when he died. Please take care of yourself. It would be normal to have some PTSD from this. It could show up in unexpected ways. Thank you for helping. 

      • West Seattle mom January 23, 2024 (6:48 pm)

        Parents out there who might be reading this, this is why it is so important to teach gun safety and children need to know what to do if they find a gun, as a young child I found a gun in the bushes and hide it in my bedroom and didn’t tell my parents and I had no gun safety training in knowing if that gun was loaded or if the safety was on. It’s very important for adults to put their guns in a locked box and put on a trigger lock on your guns and make sure your guns are out of reach from children and teenagers that live with you or who come to your house. But maybe someone bought the gun on the street and this is an extremely tragic accident that occurred because teenagers had a gun and showing it to their friends and it went off. It’s very sad for the community that another teenager died. 

  • NC January 23, 2024 (3:45 pm)

    So sad to hear this. Thoughts are with family and friends of boy who died today. 

  • KA January 23, 2024 (3:53 pm)

    Only 14. What a devastating day for the child’s loved ones. May our community offer comfort.

  • KD January 23, 2024 (3:53 pm)

    Heartbreaking for that kid and his soul 💔🙏🏼I wish Compassion, Comfort and Care for all involved 

  • LT January 23, 2024 (4:01 pm)

    Condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. 💔

  • Dave January 23, 2024 (4:06 pm)

    So sad , strange they have not found the gun since the news said he shots himself in the bathroom. 

    • WSB January 23, 2024 (4:31 pm)

      If you mean some other media outlet, we were all at the exact same briefing (see our video). The descriptions are conflicting – first he says the youths arrived and said their friend had been shot, then later he said it happened in the bathroom, but police-radio traffic earlier had discussed looking for “the scene” (and therefore the gun) somewhere outside. So they have a lot to sort out.

      • Dave January 23, 2024 (4:37 pm)

        Ok , hope they figure it out , tragic and sad 😢 

      • Marina January 23, 2024 (4:59 pm)

        The victim was shot in the bathroom. It was my impression (because all the kids were friends and hung out together frequently) that what they told me was true, which is that they were playing around with the gun when it dropped to the floor and went off. I couldn’t locate the weapon, so I’m fairly certain the kids (ether the ones interviewed on scene or the ones that ran off) took the weapon with them. But as of yet, the weapon hasn’t been located. 

        • GunOwner January 23, 2024 (7:23 pm)

          Guns don’t go off when dropped. Guns go off when someone pulls the trigger. 

          • Neighbor January 23, 2024 (11:04 pm)

            Guns can absolutely go off when dropped.  Drop safety is even an important selection criteria in selecting service pistols.

          • AlsoGunOwner January 23, 2024 (11:32 pm)

            Actually, a gun can go off if dropped. It’s often referred to as an inertia discharge. Certain handguns have been associated with impact generated discharge over the years (derringer type pistols with external hammers and many semi-auto pistols that don’t have a mechanical barrier in the mechanism that acts as a firing pin lock or block). There was in fact a case in Tampa, Fl shortly before I was stationed in Florida in 2009 of a woman whose firearm slipped from her waist holster and shot a woman in the next stall: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2009/07/10/gunfire-from-the-next-stall-injures-woman/?outputType=amp

          • Mike January 24, 2024 (5:47 am)

            “derringer type pistols with external hammers and many semi-auto pistols that don’t have a mechanical barrier in the mechanism that acts as a firing pin lock or block” Is it possible these kids had a vintage firearm with them, yes.  Is it likely, no.  Is is possible the individual already illegally in possession of a firearm also they had an illegally modified firearm on them, yes.  Is it possible it went off when dropped, yes.  Is it likely it went off when dropped, no.  The sad situation is there’s a dead 14 year old, due to negligent behavior.  To the loved ones of this kid, sorry for your loss.

          • Daniel January 24, 2024 (7:26 am)

            Even guns that do have a firing pin or striker block can have that element fail.  Sig for example has had a few cases of their arguably-poorly-designed block (which blocks a lug, not the pin itself) shear off.  However, it is a fairly rare case with virtually all handguns now.  So on average when you hear of a situation where someone says “It just went off by itself” or “I dropped it and it just went off”, statistically speaking they’re lying and they just had their finger on the trigger.  But, it can happen, so sometimes people aren’t lying and it was just poor maintenance or even more rarely, faulty manufacturing.

          • SeaRando January 24, 2024 (10:28 am)

            Even drop safe guns can go off if a gun drops and someone tries to catch it or snatches it off the ground grabbing the trigger.

          • WestSeaOld January 23, 2024 (11:33 pm)

            But this one time it did… https://youtu.be/cfqwMQ5DNVQ?si=w6x8wxBuoZW_ZqFO

  • Brad January 23, 2024 (4:23 pm)

    Terribly sad

  • whataboutthecreedence January 23, 2024 (4:27 pm)

    So sad. Why in God’s name would a group of minors have a gun on them?

    • Mariem January 23, 2024 (8:02 pm)

      Possibly because a gun was available in one of the homes and possibly they were simply curious about what it would be like to carry one… or many other possible explanations. The end result however this happened was tragic. So sad. 

      • whataboutthecreedence January 23, 2024 (11:44 pm)

        So whoever left it unattended should be in jail then. Completely unacceptable.

        • WS neighbor January 24, 2024 (6:22 pm)

          Exactly. Gun owners should be held responsible when their lack of safe storage leads to a death.

    • Pinto January 24, 2024 (7:53 am)

      I’m so sad for this poor child. Kids nowadays are immersed in gun pornography. Fortnight, John Wick, and music all glorify gun violence – and I can say as a teacher I hear kids raving about this stuff every day. Specifically boys. 

  • sam-c January 23, 2024 (4:31 pm)

    Such a heartbreaking tragedy.  Sending condolences to the child’s family.

  • Kk January 23, 2024 (5:00 pm)

    Used to be former classmates, this is really heart breaking 

    • Sad January 23, 2024 (6:11 pm)

      Do you know where they went to school? I’m concerned for some youth I know that we’re going there today.

      • Savanna January 24, 2024 (10:52 am)

        They went to cheif sealth I go there also hearing this put fear in my eyes

  • BDR January 23, 2024 (5:20 pm)

    Such sad news. Seems to me if he shot himself in the bathroom the gun would still be there. Unless his friends took it. That would bring up many more questions. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the boy. So tragic for them. RIP young one. 

  • Sarah January 23, 2024 (6:06 pm)

    This is devastating. How are 14 year olds getting guns?

    • Daniel January 24, 2024 (7:31 am)

      Statistically, it’s stolen from home, or given to them by a family member.  Sometimes, stolen from a car or someone else.  At age 14, rarely, it’s illegally purchased (though at older ages, it’s not rare to be illegally purchased).

      • Amd January 24, 2024 (1:55 pm)

        This.  And stealing from a family member would also be a reason to hide it instead of turning it over to police.  The kids don’t want to get in trouble with dad/grandma/cousin Charley or whoever’s gun cabinet they stole it from.  

  • AH Neighbor January 23, 2024 (6:25 pm)

    He was a Chief Sealth student. This has been hard on my kid.  

    • Savanna January 23, 2024 (6:40 pm)

      My mom is keeping me home tomorrow because of this I hope you do the same because if it’s really hard on them it is best to keep them home for a mental day when I heard the news I started crying because I sadly might have known the kid who got shot

      • AH Neighbor January 23, 2024 (7:31 pm)

        Thinking of you,  Savanna. I think your mom is making a great choice keeping you home for a much needed mental health day, and i think I’ll do the same.  My thoughts are with this boy’s family and everyone affected. 

      • Alki resident January 23, 2024 (7:50 pm)

        Savanna quite honestly having the kids come together and mourn will be so good for all of you. I’m sure there will be a candlelight vigil as well but I hope everyone can come together and grieve with everyone involved. I highly doubt the boys involved today will be in school for quite awhile though. 

        • enough January 24, 2024 (10:52 am)

          How dare you question what Savanna and her mother decide is best for her mental health on a day like this. I’m going to be honest, Alki Resident, I wish I could block your comments. They are frequently awful and you post on every single article. Savanna – please do what you feel is best for your own healing and ignore strangers like this who think they know what is best for you. 

          • Nitro January 24, 2024 (5:17 pm)

            +1, “enough”. Thank you for saying this. Savannah- best wishes to you, your friends, your classmates and your teachers as you all process and work through this. 

  • Andy (and H and T) January 23, 2024 (6:43 pm)

    First thing… What a horrible tragedy. My heart breaks for this young man and his family and his friends. Heck, for the community. This is awful. It’s hard to read stories like this, but, despite that, I’m always thankful for the West Seattle Blog’s coverage. You’re an essential part of this community, WSB. Thank you… Second thing… As regular swimmers at Southwest Pool, there’s no doubt in my mind (and my family’s collective mind) that the incredible staff there did what they could to save this young man’s life. I’ve seen them in action first-hand. They’re amazing. We’re thinking about them today and will look forward to seeing them on Thursday to boost their spirits as best we can given the circumstances.

    • Marina January 24, 2024 (5:26 pm)

      Andrew, thank you for your kind words and the joy your family brings every time you guys show up. In case you check this and not our SW FB site, we’re also closed on Thursday, so we’ll see you next week! 

  • Munira January 23, 2024 (7:01 pm)

    Only 14 💔💔how tragic prayers for his family 🙏🏼

  • Highpoint Mom January 23, 2024 (7:11 pm)

    Our community is grieving tonight, condolences to his family. It hits home when you have a teen son. My son knew him through their summer youth internship with the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association also known as the DNDA.They spent the summer doing forest restoration in West Seattle. It’s tragic and I can’t imagine how painstaking it is for his friends to witness his last moments as they uttered that they loved him. Before anyone comes to attack, let’s remember the daring things we did as teens. I hope that this brings forth gun education and safety to prevent this from happening again.

  • Sofie January 23, 2024 (7:26 pm)

    This is so sad 

  • Me Mama January 23, 2024 (7:39 pm)

    Heartbroken. I have been thinking of this child’s family and friends all day.  I am so sorry.  

  • CM January 23, 2024 (7:47 pm)

    This has struck a serious chord with me tonight. I’m heartbroken and mad and, yet, that is not enough.  What action can we take to keep our kids safe? How do we ensure that this is not just another WSB story, of another lost life, that we all read about, express our condolences for, and move on from. I like to think I’m reasonable in that, while I don’t like guns, I understand there may be a place for them…in the hands of kids is not one of them. I am so sorry for the family of this young man and all of those whose were involved and/or will be impacted by this tragic loss of our young neighbor. We need to do better. 

  • LM January 23, 2024 (7:48 pm)

    Theres still gonna be school tomorrow? after this? this is insane. kids should stay home tomorrow theres still no idea of where the gun might be and especially after this heavy day there shouldnt be school tomorrow

  • Mike oxmall January 23, 2024 (7:57 pm)

    RIP🕊️

  • Chief Sealth Junior January 23, 2024 (8:38 pm)

    This is all extremely scary and has me wondering, did this kid go to one of the schools? And where did they get the gun? If they had the gun over the lunch break, did they have a gun at school? I do not want to go to school tomorrow at all and especially not knowing a lot of information about the incident yet being released, it’s extremely scary to know that my classmates have access to guns like this. There is also a lot of commotion going on at school that is extremely stressful and distracting and I feel like it would be best for them to cancel school for the better of everyone. My heart breaks for this boy and his family. 

    • WSB January 23, 2024 (9:07 pm)

      Hi there. According to the message sent to families – your family should have received it as well – he was a Sealth student. As for the other questions, so far what’s above is the entirety of what has been said publicly. – TR

    • CSIHS Mom January 23, 2024 (9:25 pm)

      I share your concerns, they’re all very valid. My son is a sophomore there. 💔💔💔

  • A Denny student January 23, 2024 (9:21 pm)

    May he rest in peace and his family heal from this terrible tragedy. 🕊️.

  • Jelco January 23, 2024 (9:33 pm)

    This poor boy, what a terrible, tragic end to a too-short life.  I’m sending love to his family, friends, the staff at the center, and his CSHS classmates.  So much heartbreak.  To the commenter that said they were onsite and his friend was telling him they love him, I hope so much that’s true.  It brings the tiniest sliver of hope to this sadness.  West Seattle, let’s love this family well, speak well of their child, and remember that our fear for our own children isn’t a reason to speak unkindly about a lost child or a family facing the biggest hole in their hearts I can imagine.

    • Nearby Neighbor and Mom January 23, 2024 (10:27 pm)

      Thank you for this comment. It covers so much of what I’d like to say myself. My heart is broken for this family and the community. So young. So sad. Thank you for all who helped. Sending you love, young one. 

    • Kim January 24, 2024 (8:23 am)

      Thank you for saying this. Heartbreaks for the family and friends of this young boy.

    • K's mom January 24, 2024 (8:29 am)

      Thank you, Jelco, for your message of compassion and kindness. 

  • Kadoo January 23, 2024 (9:35 pm)

    What a tragedy. 🙏🏼 for everyone involved. 

  • Elle January 23, 2024 (10:22 pm)

    This is heartbreaking. I hope the gun is found and the owner convicted. Enough! 

  • Curtis January 23, 2024 (10:27 pm)

    All this tragedy, yet the Sealth PTA and Mr. Garcia Morales have been openly opposed to resource officers in the school.  The adults continue to fail the students.

  • Incredibly sad January 23, 2024 (10:46 pm)

    Knew this victim from the area. It’s extremely sad that this happened and shocking. I don’t know how the family will grieve and move on from this. If anyone knows them personally or the person who passed, please just remember how hard it is and be kind. 

  • WS Mom January 24, 2024 (8:21 am)

    14 years old HS kids are going to school with guns in their backpacks. No metal detectors at school. America the wonderful. This country is one sad and really demented place. 

    • G January 24, 2024 (12:37 pm)

      THIS. And the fact that the gun is still out there with one of these students. 

  • alki mothership January 24, 2024 (8:56 am)

    i was with my mom, my teen child’s grandmother when news of this tragedy broke, and we embrace his family and friends in our thoughts and hearts with strong shoulders and solace for them to find refuge. while questions are still being answered, there will never be an acceptable reason why this had to happen. we stand with sealth and love our west seattle children and families.

  • Greg January 24, 2024 (9:29 am)

    For anybody wanting to join a group that works to pass reasonable gun laws to help stop horrible things like this. https://momsdemandaction.org/

  • Lauren Grosskopf January 24, 2024 (11:49 am)

    This is so sad. The poor boy and his family. It’s heartbreaking as can be. And it isn’t right that it’s so scary to be a kid and a parent raising a kid in America. I emailed the principal of Denny to offer to get a fundraiser going to install metal detectors in the schools here. I can’t think of any better safety measure… how are we to know if a kid has a gun in their backpack? Would people be interested in pulling together for a fundraiser?It’s also so sad to think that all the work that schools do from elementary school on these days in regards to recognizing and coping with feelings, and providing counselors and other resources isn’t always enough. What else do children need? What can we do to help?

    • TL January 24, 2024 (3:53 pm)

      Yes — absolutely— yes. 

      • Lauren January 24, 2024 (8:09 pm)

        Do you want to meet to discuss talking to the higher ups to see if they’d clear a fundraiser?

    • WS neighbor January 24, 2024 (6:20 pm)

      I understand the urge to install metal detectors, but if you look at the research this is not a good way to prevent shootings. It may seem like a way to “guarantee” safety at school, but it’s not. Holding gun owners responsible for safely storing their guns (to ensure kids can’t access guns), changing gun laws, so many other actions are more effective. So many factors to consider. Here’s a good article about it if you’d like to learn more: https://schoolsecurity.org/trends/school-metal-detectors/

    • WS Resident January 24, 2024 (6:58 pm)

      I’ll donate and help spread the word about any fundraiser to get metal detectors installed.There is no other way.And I dont have a stake in this other than being a neighbor to the school campus and wanting the school to be a safe place for kids.Guns in school has to stop.

      • Kwillcommunitymom January 27, 2024 (6:50 am)

        I’ll donate too! To keep our kids safe!

    • WS neighbor January 24, 2024 (7:19 pm)

      I would really recommend you reconsider the push for metal detectors in schools. There are so many other better ways to focus energy around this issue—like holding the gun owner responsible for not safely storing the weapon, pushing for stronger gun laws, etc. There is a lot if research about this and so many factors to consider. For example: https://schoolsecurity.org/trends/school-metal-detectors/

    • gofundmeadetector January 24, 2024 (7:22 pm)

      Lauren – those detectors cost about $5,000. I would set up a GoFundMe and ask WSB to promote it. I bet you get that amount in 24 hours with this story weighing on everyone’s mind and heart.

      • Ben January 24, 2024 (10:01 pm)

        Even if metal detectors are purchased, there is a massive amount of logistics and money needed. They have to determine which entrances have them and how to manage >2000 students and staff + visitors that enter and exit the building everyday. Typically, entrances with metal detectors have security staff to check bags, etc. School budgets are minuscule at best, so while I agree that metal detectors may be a good idea in some ways, it might make more sense to focus on bolstering community resources and activities for kids. Lets get kids happier and healthier in the community! 

  • Admiral Mom January 24, 2024 (11:53 am)

    My heart is broken for the family and community.May he rest in peace.

  • Wendy January 24, 2024 (1:03 pm)

    Scary to think students may carry weapons with them. That young too. I hope they find the gun and see who it is registered to. This will help shed more light on what possibly these boys were up to whether foul play or accidental. I know some say suicide but with friends present and gun missing that doesn’t make sense. This just shows the kind of Violence guns cause when in the wrong hands. I pray for all the families and the community. 

    • Rhonda January 24, 2024 (4:27 pm)

      Firearms aren’t registered. The FOPA Act of 1986 outlawed gun registration. If an owner reports a gun stolen it gets put into a VERY long database of stolen firearms. When we recover a firearm at a crime scene or field stop we run the serial number to see if it’s on the stolen list. If it’s stolen we can get it back to the owner after it’s run through the lab.

  • csihsmama January 24, 2024 (1:04 pm)

    Incredibly sad.  Was the weapon recovered? Does anyone know? I’m concerned a child still has it on them.

    • WSB January 24, 2024 (1:32 pm)

      We asked SPD that (and a few other followup questions) and they would say only that there’s nothing new to report so far today.

      • AH Neighbor January 24, 2024 (6:01 pm)

        Everyone at Denny and Chief Sealth knows who he was and I’m already hearing stories about what a great kid he was. There are so many rumors flying; I hope police can confirm some details soon,  but I know they’re doing their job. 

  • dairmuid January 24, 2024 (2:04 pm)

    This is a terrible thing to happen in our community.https://everytownresearch.org/maps/notanaccident/Interesting statistics on accidental shootings by children in the US.

    • WS neighbor January 24, 2024 (6:28 pm)

      Thank you for sharing this. Instead of putting energy towards calls for metal detectors, we should be putting energy towards holding irresponsible gun owners accountable. If their gun isn’t safely stored away from kids (in a locked safe with separate ammunition), people can die. It’s heartbreaking how incredibly common this is in the US. 

  • Eab January 24, 2024 (2:36 pm)

    I wonder if they find the gun and if it’s registered to a parent of one of those kids are the parents held liable for not securing the gun from a minor?

  • If you have a gun in your home… January 24, 2024 (6:43 pm)

    … your teenager probably knows where it is.

  • Martin January 24, 2024 (9:30 pm)

    We need to start facing why kids would access and carry guns.  I”m not talking about more laws (get real), I’m talking about looking INTO the problem not OUT OF the problem. 

  • Kwillcommunitymom January 27, 2024 (6:52 am)

    I don’t believe that our youth and their safety has a price tag.  They should be protected by us at all costs.

Sorry, comment time is over.