WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Roxhill Park shooting charge; stolen green Cherokee

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reports today – first, a charge filed in last Thursday’s Roxhill Park shootout:

(WSB photo, Thursday afternoon)

SHOOTOUT CHARGE: The 18-year-old who called 911 after driving the shot 17-year-old away from the park, Walis G. Ahmed, is now charged with second-degree unlawful gun possession. Court documents say police are still not sure who started the shootout – which is why no assault charges are filed so far – but they say it appears from a witness’s video that three of the four participants were shooting at the fourth. While no guns related to the shootout have been found, prosecutors say Ahmed and two others are shown holding guns (the unidentified fourth person is not shown in the video). They say Ahmed was found guilty of unlawful gun possession last year, when he was a juvenile, and that’s why it was illegal for him to be armed last week. In that case, the court documents say, both Ahmed and the 17-year-old who was shot last Thursday were investigated for having guns “in a car near Cleveland High School” (documents we received when following up last week said at least one gun was being “shown to friends”). Ahmed received a “deferred sentence”; the 17-year-old was not charged. We don’t yet know whether he’s still in the hospital.

Also today, another stolen vehicle:

STOLEN GREEN CHEROKEE: William emailed to ask people to be on the lookout for his 1999 dark-green 4-door Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows and plate 988-YNV, stolen early today from his apartment complex in the 2400 block of SW Webster. Police report # is 25-73075; if you find it, call 911 and refer to that case number.

Derrick March 18, 2025 (5:50 pm)

The write up above implies that the potential charges for this would be assault. Can a person with legal knowledge explain to me why this is not attempted murder? It seems that if you pull a gun out, aim it at somebody, start pulling the trigger – that is attempting to kill somebody and should be charged as such.

Daniel March 19, 2025 (12:00 am)

Getting a homicide conviction requires proving intent to kill. Attempted murder meets the same intent bar, and because there’s no dead body, it’s often very difficult to prove, absent other evidence (like say a text message saying “I’m gonna kill you”). So the writing here is probably correct – in the vast majority of nonfatal shootings, prosecutors won’t go for attempted murder.

Rhonda March 18, 2025 (6:23 pm)

Regardless of circumstances or past criminal history, it’s highly illegal for an 18 year-old to conceal and carry a loaded pistol or have one in their vehicle. It’s also a crime for anyone of any age to have a loaded long firearm in a vehicle.

Watching4it March 18, 2025 (7:37 pm)

Yes! We will keep an eye out for your car. Sorry that happened. I would think you’re checking with neighbors to see if anyone has got video.?

Kyle March 18, 2025 (9:14 pm)

If all that comes out of multiple kids shooting up a playground is one gun possession charge we’ve got a serious problem with the police and the public not caring. I seriously hope there is more coming.

FedUp March 18, 2025 (10:31 pm)

It is absolutely ridiculous. If playgrounds at 3pm aren’t safe then I don’t know what is!
Anne March 18, 2025 (11:06 pm)

The police “ not caring” ? Are you serious? The police arrest-investigate -it’s up to prosecutors to file charges.

WestSeattleDerm March 18, 2025 (10:02 pm)

3pm on a Thursday. As a father of young children, this is typically when we’re leaving pre-school/school to go to a local West Seattle playground.When did they start turning into the O.K. Corral?

K March 18, 2025 (10:21 pm)

As a long-time educator in the area, I’m not surprised to see the name of the teenager involved in the shooting. Whenever I read someone’s response to a teenage shooting, “Where are the parents”, I know who that parent is: generally, a single mother, one who speaks little English, one who fled her war-torn country for a refugee camp, who fled with children, who has survived unimaginable conditions, and now continues living with both the past and present trauma; a mother who cannot understand the language and the system here, who relies on her children to translate and inform and knows she will be judged by both their successes and their failings. And, let me tell you, there are so many beautiful successes!But, for some families, the challenges are insurmountable. Trauma takes its toll; schools don’t have the means to meet the family’s needs; things fall apart. Ask any teacher in the area: it’s the heartbreak of being unable to stop the fall of these kids—kids who absolutely need intervention—especially when the falling is so palpable.

Anita March 19, 2025 (5:53 am)

Thank you for sharing this. What an eloquent reminder of the humanity of all involved, and that there are circumstances and trauma that most of us can never comprehend. These families, and our community, are lucky to have people like you.
WSzombie March 19, 2025 (12:41 pm)

This hardship can be true and still hold the parents, and teenagers, accountable for knowing the difference between right and wrong. Giving the parents a free pass on accountability because of their past doesn’t abscond them of continuing to parent going forward. It’s why it’s so important to assimilate to the new culture. It’s a fine line to walk between ignorance and naivety. Regardless of how difficult the past has been, illegally obtaining a gun and attempting to kill someone is acceptable in your current standard of living is ignoring the past hardship and taking for granted the opportunity given for a fresh start. This is also a big reason that people don’t, and won’t, support certain types of immigration and refugees. One bad apple ruins the bunch, and this is all people see in the news. If the community wants to receive more positive support, they have to be supportable.
- Tt March 20, 2025 (10:06 pm)
  
  I don’t think a free pass was mentioned. Just that trauma at a young age has consequences on a growing brain and children/families need services to overcome it. Abuse in the home, or of the child, and so many other traumas lead to these services being needed like early head start, free preschool, kindergarten and counseling and saves money over jail and court costs later.
TheArroyos March 19, 2025 (11:58 pm)

Somali students are the second-largest group of bilingual learners in Seattle Public Schools. To support them, the district has hired a community liaison and translates school documents into Somali, enhancing parental engagement and family stability by reducing children’s role as translators.
Neighbor March 20, 2025 (5:51 pm)

What do we do? Do the schools need more funding? Do we need to reallocate resources? How do we intervene without turning these kids into criminals? What kind of (involuntary?) intervention doesn’t involve prosecution? Does the community just need to step up and be better role models?