WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Gunfire on Alki

7:48 PM: Thanks for the tips. Police are investigating gunfire on Alki, reported in the 2700 block [at 61st SW]. The shots were reported to have been fired by a passenger in a dark car, believed to be a Challenger; officers have found shell casings, but no injuries reported so far, aside from one person who is reported to have hurt their shoulder when they dropped to the ground after seeing the shots fired.

8:10 PM: The gunfire happened just after 7 pm, according to the police log, and our crew reports officers have already cleared the scene. (Crime was a topic at last night’s Alki Community Council meeting – report to come – with city reps joining ACC leadership for a public-safety walk recently, but the focus was more on the recent wave of business burglaries.)

Heard 2-3 shots in High point same time March 20, 2026 (8:11 pm)

Two shots then a third.

BullS March 20, 2026 (8:12 pm)

The word is out…. look Ma….we are NOT on camera anymore!!Come on down 🤬

WSB March 20, 2026 (8:23 pm)

Reply

Nothing has changed on Alki, which does not have fixed city cameras (not even traffic cameras, though the mayor’s office confirms that traffic cameras are NOT being turned off).

Alki Res March 20, 2026 (8:12 pm)

Live on Alki and heard the shots clear as day. About 8-12 shots and sounded like they paused and continued. So sad this is happening in an area where families are out on walks with their kids or pets.

WShomie March 20, 2026 (9:11 pm)

We were eating at Fire and this guy was hanging outside of the passenger side window. It looked like he was shooting at the bus. Everyone in the restaurant dropped to the ground. It was terrifying. None of us were ok after that. He shot at least 8 times.

junction resident March 20, 2026 (10:39 pm)

Reply

What a terrifying experience. I hope the shooter and driver are brought to justice. There is no space in our community for selfless and violent acts such as this.
- Frog March 21, 2026 (10:31 am)
  
  Reply
  
  Realistically, what would be the consequences if they were “brought to justice”? Shootings happen several times a week now days, but I can’t recall ever reading or hearing about anyone arrested or prosecuted for any such incident. “Brought to justice” seems like not a thing anymore. Elected officials pay lip service to public safety, but it’s a mystery what if anything they are actually doing about it.
  - 1994 March 21, 2026 (12:48 pm)
    
    Reply
    
    Throw them in jail for a week for dangerous behavior? Maybe that would mess up their lives a little more and give them pause about their actions? Make them miss work if they have a job. Take away their guns & forbid them from having guns in the future due to past irresponsible behavior with guns. There needs to be some consequences for the shooters to make them think about their actions and not repeat their dangerous behaviors.
Local March 21, 2026 (6:52 am)

Reply

Glad you’re okay <3
AN March 21, 2026 (9:04 am)

Reply

This bums me out so much, the Fire Tacos family is literally the greatest, such hard workers and lovely people, they don’t deserve this (no one does, but you get my point). We’re going to support them extra-hard this spring!
Jordan March 21, 2026 (9:11 pm)

Reply

Omg! What did he look like?

Hoping for a safer Seattle March 20, 2026 (9:27 pm)

Hopefully safety is at the top of our mayors list of things that need her immediate attention. Without safety, we don’t have much. The people that witnessed this are changed forever PTSD.

Local March 21, 2026 (6:53 am)

Reply

Well, she just turned off license plate reading which helps find culprits in situations like this. So, there’s that.

Rob March 20, 2026 (10:11 pm)

Katie is more worried about the privacy of criminals than safety of law abiding taxpayers. Add more cameras and turn them on!

k March 21, 2026 (5:12 pm)

Reply

Mayor Wilson paused the use of the license plate cameras until they can be brought into compliance with state law. Literally the definition of law-abiding. Existing cameras are still on and functioning. New camera systems are going through the due diligence and vetting process the previous city council failed to do, that every taxpayer should expect of a system they pay for. Though the announcement came with a level of fanfare, when you read the details, it it literally just the mayor making sure things are done the way functional government does things.

Choosing dysfunctional government in favor of “tough on crime” platitudes is how we got the ICE fiasco to begin with, which certainly didn’t make anyone safer.

I am happy Mayor Wilson is prioritizing solutions that actually make people safer, instead of continuing on with performative safety “features” that massage feelings without putting a dent in crime.
- TAnderson March 24, 2026 (10:40 am)
  
  Reply
  
  And ten years from now we’ll be having the same discussion

WS Person March 20, 2026 (10:57 pm)

Was it a dark gray Challenger? It was ripping up admiral as I was walking my dog around 7ish.

1994 March 20, 2026 (11:32 pm)

I hope there are some private cameras down there that caught a view of this POS firing a gun. Or maybe a driver with a camera that was recording. Camera video is what helped catch the killer of the 2 Rainier Beach High School students.

B March 21, 2026 (2:26 am)

I thought we usually got til at least May before Alki start popping off?! Knuckleheads are going to thrive in 2026. Can’t wait

WSB March 21, 2026 (3:12 am)

Reply

Last year, April.
https://westseattleblog.com/2025/04/west-seattle-crime-watch-alki-gunfire-investigation-2/

Marcus March 21, 2026 (3:24 am)

Totally preventable. The city politicians and many, many citizens just do not have the guts or the philosophy to allocate the police resources to stop this. When will people realize that crime is not a political issue nor the prevention of crime leads to an authoritative oppressive society. Wake up!!!!

bill March 21, 2026 (11:28 am)

Reply

SPD has hundreds of open positions. Do you have the guts to join up, Marcus?
- Marcus March 21, 2026 (12:31 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  Detracting from the real issue of crime prevention! I guess my post rang true.
alki_2008 March 21, 2026 (11:18 pm)

Reply

Which resources? There aren’t enough police officers. Who wants the job, especially when they are berated by a large swath of the populace they are serving?Surely we can’t force people to apply for SPD positions. Oh, maybe able-bodied people should be conscripted to be police officers, like a draft for SPD?

Rocky Bullwinkle March 21, 2026 (6:13 am)

Given the number of shooting incidents annually at snd around Alki and Don Armeni Park, I wish SPD would station a police car in the area and have it regularly patrol Alki Ave on a daily basis. This is just a wish from someone who walked past where the shooting happened right before it happened.

aRF March 21, 2026 (8:55 am)

Reply

SPD comes through but it never seems like they have the resources to stay long. A few times in the past month I’ve seen a CARE team strolling along Alki Beach during the day. I was wondering if it was part of their beat or if they were on a break.

Just thinking March 21, 2026 (8:33 am)

Cameras were installed years ago around Alki but disconnected before they were used due to privacy issues. We are being held hostage by gangs of armed criminals shooting up our streets and burglarizing our businesses. It’s time we take to the streets and start demonstrating that we want action that apprehends these criminals starting with more cameras, not less.

Dog Whisperer March 21, 2026 (10:42 am)

It might be time to do something.

aa March 21, 2026 (11:09 am)

When was the last time we had a mayor that people didn’t complain about?

Alki neighbor March 21, 2026 (1:54 pm)

My wife and I are regulars at Fire Taco. Wonderful people work there. We were there the night before. I can’t imagine what this must have been like for everyone at the restaurant. I’m not a surveillance everywhere person but in areas where crime happens with regularity we should have cameras so that we can catch these criminals. Let’s be really practical and less ideological about crime.

Alki person March 21, 2026 (1:58 pm)

My girlfriend drove by there 2 minutes before this latest shooting incident! I oppose cameras and big brother everywhere but this is out of control. If the city can’t get their stuff together and put more police presence or how about a small substation like in other big cities. Then let’s get cameras in there before someone innocent gets killed! It’s a miracle no one has been killed lately.

alki_2008 March 21, 2026 (11:23 pm)

Reply

I support cameras on Alki Ave, not speed cameras, but cameras that can be referred to after something happens so the perpetrators can (hopefully) be identified and prosecuted. But realistically, the cameras are not going to stop things from happening in the first place. It will just make it easier to catch the person that committed the crime. Even so, that is valuable to stop someone from being able to continue their criminal ways and victimize more people in Alki or other neighborhoods.People just need to understand that the cameras are not going to be monitored 24/7 like they do in London, but instead will be used for review when something happens.

The Real JP March 21, 2026 (8:55 pm)

Has more information become available about what specifically took place? Someone mentioned shooting at a bus. It sounds like the shooting occurred in the vicinity of Fire Taco. Did any bullets penetrate Fire Taco? Is the shooting believed to have been random or part of some sort of altercation?

Alki ACAB March 22, 2026 (11:19 am)

Reply

Live a couple blocks away. Just walked the dog past Fire and there are no impact holes anywhere in facade of the building. Assuming it would be front page news everywhere if a metro bus was shot up so my guess is the shooter fired into the air. Still scary but unlikely there will be any investigative effort if there’s no property damage or injuries.

Kathy March 21, 2026 (11:18 pm)

Let’s have more street parties on Alki Ave where car traffic is limited/restricted. The troublemakers always seem to arrive in cars. We shouldn’t have to walk down the street in fear of drive-by shootings.