WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Alki Avenue early-morning gunfire, with 70+ casings (updated Friday afternoon)

5:58 AM: Thanks for the tip. Police radio archives confirm that evidence of gunfire was found in the 1100 block of Alki Avenue SW – near Luna/Anchor Park – after 911 calls around 3 am. That included bullets going through at least one residential window, and casings found on the ground. No injuries reported.

2:54 PM: Here’s the police summary:

On 08/21/26, residents in the area of 1100 Block of Alki AV SW phoned 911 to report shots fired between two people. Officers arrived on scene and discovered 70+ casings of multiple calibers in the area to include a spring from an extended magazine. Property damage to a residence across the street was also discovered, no injuries found inside.

Mike August 21, 2026 (6:08 am)

Bring the gang unit back, it worked

Ruckus August 21, 2026 (7:36 am)

Year after year, I read that the police scooped up bullet casings from WS shootings. But can the casings link guns from different crime scenes? Apparently, yes. ChatGPT informs me that police can sometimes link casings from different crime scenes to the same firearm. When a gun fires, its firing pin, breech face, extractor, ejector, and other components can leave microscopic marks on the casing. Investigators can compare those markings to casings recovered at different scenes. And that analysis can establish that casings were likely fired by the same firearm.”How often is the same gun being used in WS shootings? Is SPD actually analyzing the cases? This resident would like to know.

WSB August 21, 2026 (10:40 am)

Yes, and you don’t need AI to tell you that. We’ve reported it before, multiple times.
- Mike August 21, 2026 (11:22 am)
  
  I’m always amazed at how little society knows about investigating crimes and then questions SPD like it’s Barney Fife and Mayberry.
- 1994 August 21, 2026 (8:56 pm)
  
  Can WSB inquire with the SPD how many casings they are finding in West Seattle weekly, monthly, yearly? As a news organization WSB may be able to get such info speedier than myself as a concerned citizen? I have not attempted to inquire with the SPD….but I am very curious as to the number of casings located.
CarDriver August 21, 2026 (11:08 am)

WSB is correct. Law enforcement has had, and utilized a database that has casing data from any gun crime. They’ve had that ability for many years and yes they do utilize that information. Just because law enforcement doesn’t report out every step they take to solve a crime doesn’t mean they aren’t utilizing every tool in their toolbox.
WSZombie August 21, 2026 (2:38 pm)

From a shooting earlier this year, I pulled three bullet rounds out of my house and picked up four shell casings. I called the detective working the case to see if they wanted them. They never called back. I left two messages about it and got zero response. There was even a victim that got his.
- Mike August 21, 2026 (7:22 pm)
  
  WSZombie, so you disturbed a crime scene and then called police to tell them you messed it up? Bravo… SMH

Marcus August 21, 2026 (9:02 am)

Police could stop this in as little as a week if they were only to stop vehicles with minor infractions. Tail lights, license with automatic readers and illegal window tinting and proper turn signal use. Just a simple change in police focus would halt so many instances. Yet city leaders are hesitant to proceed because of a loud minority of Seattle residents. Time to change focus or continue to risk the innocent.

Dual Plates August 21, 2026 (1:33 pm)

Agree. Another is requirement of a front license plate.
Mark M August 21, 2026 (2:03 pm)

I’d like to see fines for expired tabs and car inspections for tab renewal come back. Also “prove it” window tint and exhaust tickets. Temporary suspension of license for driving without or heavily concealed plates.
Also John August 21, 2026 (3:47 pm)

Absolutely agree! Lately I’m seeing vehicles with no plates. Yes I look at the back window. Seems an obvious reason why no identification. I thought we had a tint law?! In the 80’s I remember police pulling car over and ticketing if the tint was too dark. What happened with that? Sometimes I can’t even see a driver.
BeachTeach August 21, 2026 (7:46 pm)

I agree…. there are so many “minor laws” such as window tinting, under Chassis strobe lighting, fire pits, large group gatherings on the street….. all of which may be tied to the groups that are responsible for the weapons and shootings in our Alki neighborhood… Those of us who live here see it often, with no police intervention whatsoever. I’m not certain that they have the manpower to patrol it with depth and regularity. But then I see the hundreds of police officers engaged with parades, protests, etc, that I have trouble believing it’s due to a shortage of SPD personnel.
Kyle August 21, 2026 (9:37 pm)

Lol at the mental gymnastics to think basic traffic infractions and car tabs will stop two cars speeding by and shooting at one another. Gang unit and actual detective work would be much more effective here.
- Bill August 22, 2026 (1:54 pm)
  
  Enforcing basic traffic infractions would be effective because criminals are often careless enough to violate multiple laws at once. For example, someone might be driving under the influence, have an illegal firearm in the vehicle, or have an outstanding arrest warrant.

Connor August 21, 2026 (12:58 pm)

I was woken up shortly past 3am from a car that had to be doing 100+ mph down harbor Ave toward the bridge. Cars are always speeding but this was way faster than the usual idiot. Maybe linked? Running from the scene? Dude had it pinned and wasn’t lifting. Just a tip in case that driver is linked to it I’m sure there’s a camera that maybe got a plate image.

Jack August 21, 2026 (2:48 pm)

I talked with an officer who came out in the early morning about 7AM. He was there looking for anymore shell casings in the daytime. Yes he found some, so did a neighbor woman. Because I live close to the site he asked if we had a camera that might show the sight. We do, but with all the movement on Alki Ave. we had the motion sensor turned off. Camera’s, noise camera’s, speed camera’s etc. are needed. They Help the police do their job and protect citizens.

K August 21, 2026 (3:00 pm)

Those cameras have all been studied, multiple times, and proven to not reduce crime rates, or impact solve rates. Your assertion is demonstrably untrue.
- Clyde Barrow August 21, 2026 (5:38 pm)
  
  Another day, another anti-camera post by K, citing imaginary, misleading, and cherry-picked “studies”. Meanwhile, literally thousands of cities around the world use them for law enforcement purposes, among other things.
  This is like Homer Simpson: “Everyone is stupid except me”.
  - 1994 August 22, 2026 (5:52 pm)
    
    100% agree with Clyde Barrow. Cameras do solve crimes. K thinks we are all stupid and that we only believe cameras prevent crime . No K, we believe, and many have read multiple times, that cameras help law enforcement solve crimes. Yah, being an armchair detective is great to see and read about crimes being solved with the assistance of cameras!
- Rhonda August 22, 2026 (12:21 am)
  
  You’re absolutely correct, K.
- Jordan August 22, 2026 (9:09 am)
  
  How people have such confidence without literally any knowledge of what they are talking about is always amazing to me. Here you go. Try reading prior to posting so confidently and so ignorantly. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1745-9133.12419?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Actualperson August 22, 2026 (1:27 pm)
  
  K. So you’ve told everyone that you know that has a ring or dash cam that they’re worthless and frankly they’re only used to spy on and harass innocent people? When you go into a business do you tell the employees that they’re horrible people for spying on innocent people with their cameras? If not why aren’t you?
Mark M August 21, 2026 (3:24 pm)

I won’t pretend to have deep knowledge of this topic. On the surface I agree that cameras would help cops catch criminals like this. However, it would likely be a double edged sword as you can solve one issue (gangs/domestic violence) but create another (police state, gov tracking, big brother, etc). The later is no longer just conspiracy, cameras throughout the nation are being “redeployed” for use cases not of the original advertised intent. Some folks have good intentions but history shows some folks do not. And what happens when someone in power does not have good intentions and has access to a wide network of cameras.
- Jack August 21, 2026 (9:26 pm)
  
  If you are out in public and you are not doing anything illegal you don’t care. This is about people shooting up houses where people live. Endangering innocent peoples lives. Give it up with “Big Brother Crap”.
  - k August 23, 2026 (2:29 pm)
    
    There are immigrants who believed that as long as they were in the country legally, ICE would leave them alone, and now they’re being picked up and held in detention centers (or killed) despite following the law and doing nothing wrong.
    
    There are other historical precedents for a government changing the rules about what is illegal and who is innocent. If you are out in public *and part of a privileged class* you don’t care. The rest of us do.

JB August 21, 2026 (4:57 pm)

Live across the street. Terrifying. We do have camera footage. White Lexus and two cars shooting at one another. Not very clear images of the people but young looking kids. Glad we have this for the police to review they’ve been at our condo for a couple hours. More police. More law and order regardless of someone’s age.

ACG August 21, 2026 (11:44 pm)

Over 70 casings!?! Good lord. Please stay safe neighbors.

BDR August 22, 2026 (5:52 am)

If the laws were changed so the minimum sentences for crimes would keep people in jail rather than the current low bail with electronic monitoring releases it would slow down some of the auto theft which is often involved in shootings.

Runner August 22, 2026 (7:24 am)

Why is this incident not receiving a huge amount of media attention. It is unbelievable to me that this type of gun violence is treated as just another night in Seattle. I also strongly agree with the comments about enforcing basic laws concerning current license tabs, over tinted windows, speeding, illegal loud exhaust pipes, etc. breaking basic laws seems to be the new normal and in my humble opinion just leads to bigger issues such as the unbelievable 70 shots fired on Alki! Our city leadership should be at the scene of this crime holding a news conference reassuring all of us that this is going to stop!

WSB August 22, 2026 (10:22 am)

Generally, we are the only ones reporting consistently on non-injury gunfire.

BartonSW August 22, 2026 (8:20 am)

At least the 3rd reports now of gunfire and one ended in a death this week at 1pm in the afternoon. From Alki, to Delridge, to Barton this week…Doesn’t matter what time of day, these fools are endangering human life. More police, increase patrols, PLEASE, & bring back the gang unit (stupid choice to stop it in the 1st place).

Brett August 22, 2026 (6:25 pm)

Please raise my taxes build more jails

No new taxes August 22, 2026 (9:05 pm)

City officials and nonprofits must first identify and account for funds allocated to ineffective programs.
moji August 23, 2026 (7:11 am)

More jails? The 2 King County facilities that I go into for work several times a week are not full. Not even close.

Sorry, comment time is over.