WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Alki gunfire investigation

Thanks for the tip! Police investigated gunfire at Alki Beach early Sunday. It’s not classified on the SPD data map as a gunfire incident, but archived police-radio exchanges confirm that officers went to the beach before 3 am after at least two 911 calls, and found four casings near 56th/Alki. No victims were found at the scene but one officer told dispatch that a witness thought they saw someone being taken away in a car. We’re following up with SPD. This was just two nights after police and Parks joined the Alki Community Council‘s April meeting to talk about seasonal safety at the beach.

Alki resident April 21, 2025 (2:23 pm)

More proof we don’t need a 10pm curfew..

Anne April 21, 2025 (5:03 pm)

Oh so this incident was actually on the beach?
- Alki citizen April 21, 2025 (9:00 pm)
  
  It was on the sidewalk and Alki Ave in between 56th and 57th, at 2:30 am. You can see it listed as “assault” on the crime data site.

Rhonda April 21, 2025 (3:15 pm)

NOTE: The beach was closed to taxpaying Washington State residents but there was still a shooting.

B April 21, 2025 (4:49 pm)

Re: it not being classified on the SPD data map as a gunfire incident – is that expected to change? Based on the findings of the investigation? SPD is telling everyone they are “very data driven” and to call in anything – anything at all – so it’s documented. But if something like this doesn’t meet “gunfire incident” criteria – is it re-identified/classified? Or just not documented at all?

WSB April 21, 2025 (5:00 pm)

I have not investigated why that wasn’t classified that way. I’ve never seen that before – it may have something to do with the time lag; usually I view incidents that are no more than several hours old, and they reflect what was dispatched (which can be confusing – the map label is initially “shots fired” because that’s what people thought they heard, not what eventually was or was not found).