Seattle police ask public for help in identifying two gunmen, pistol tied to 10 shootings



SEATTLE -- Seattle police on Thursday released photos of two gunmen and a pistol that they said is linked to 10 shootings in the city.

"Since 2013, detectives have been following the trail of a 9mm Luger pistol used in 10 shootings in the Seattle area," the Seattle Police Department online blotter said.

"After a shooting at a Central District park last month, detectives now have pictures of a man seen wielding the weapon, and are hoping someone can help identify him."

Police said a witness captured two men on camera as they opened fire at Judkins Park on June 25. One of the men fired several shots from the Luger pistol before both men fled.



Police said they were able to tie the 9mm Luger to nine other shootings in the Seattle area since 2013. They listed those incidents as:

October 28, 2013 – 9:55 PM: Police found five shell casings connected with the gun in the street at 43rd Avenue S. and S. Othello Street, but no victims or damage.

December 22nd, 2013 – 10:04 PM: Officers found someone had fired nine rounds from the gun at 47th Ave S. and S. Juneau St. Again, no damage or victims.

June 12, 2015 – 9:59 PM: the gun was used to fire at least one shot at a white vehicle as it sped away from a gas station parking lot at 23rd Ave and E. Union St. No injuries or damage were reported to police.

June 24, 2014 – 6:13 PM: Witnesses reported someone opened fire from the passenger seat of a black Dodge sedan as it sped through the 9000 block of Rainier Ave S. Police found evidence two guns were fired near the scene, and bullets fired during the incident struck a 60-year-old man in the leg and shattered the windshield of a passing vehicle.

June 25, 2015 – 9:10 PM: The gun was used in a shooting at Powell-Barnett Park. Officers were unable to find anyone with injuries at the scene, but a 31-year-old man later arrived at a Central District hospital with a gunshot wound. A motorist also contacted police and reported their car had been struck by gunfire as they drove past the park.

June 25, 2015 – 9:50 PM: Two men (pictured above) opened fire at Judkins Park. No one was injured in the shooting, but a motorist passing by the park ran a red light and struck two cars after hearing the gunfire.

June 26, 2015 – 12:40 AM: The gun was one of two fired at a gas station in the 9200 block of Rainier Ave S. Bullets fired from the Luger, and at least one other gun, struck nearby businesses and a nearby apartment building, where officers later recovered a bullet found on top of a resident’s bed. No one was injured in the incident.

July 4, 2015 – 11:27 PM: Officers met a woman on the I-90 bridge, after she called 911 and reported her car had been struck by gunfire near 25th Ave S. and S. Massachusetts St. The woman and three children in the vehicle were not injured in the incident.

July 10, 2015 – 12:55 AM: An 18-year-old man was shot in the torso and leg near 46th Ave S. and S. Henderson St. Officers found the man, and medics transported him to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

Seattle police said they believe the Luger handgun was used in all nine of these shootings, as well as an exchange of gunfire between two groups in the Renton area in July 2014, which left four people injured.

Neighbors told Q13 FOX News they worry about violence in their community.

“This really hit me to the core of my soul,” Pamela Banks said. “Our children’s lives are at stake we have got to stop this violence.”

Community leaders are now so fed up they want surveillance cameras watching the crime hot spots. But it’s a controversial idea for many in Seattle.

“We need to trust each other rather than police each other and spy on each other,” Seattle resident Jeff McKenzie said.

“Support some type of camera system with a sunset date I get people's privacy but our lives are at stake,” Banks said.
Police chief Kathleen O’ Toole says the city is seriously considering cameras.

“Sooner rather than later we just have to determine if we want to do this or not,” O’Toole said.



But what they are definitely doing right now is teaming up with ATF agents in a new partnership to trace the trail of the guns.

“The gun itself is like a victim or witness of a crime it tells a story of itself,” said ATF Doug Dawson.

Since April, ATF agents have been picking up shell casings and analyzing forensics at every single shooting hoping to catch the small group of criminals behind most of the shootings. But Mayor Ed Murray says it will take more than policing to curb the violence. Murray and O’Toole met with faith and community leaders in the African-American community Thursday morning.

“We also have to address the underlying issues, I’m here to work with you to find the solutions,” Murray said.

Police have confiscated more than 400 guns so far this year which is more than all of last year. ACLU on Thursday said they are opposed to the cameras. They say they will do little to prevent crime and do a lot to invade people's privacy.

Detectives are looking for leads to help them track down the Luger and suspects in these incidents. Police ask that you call their violent crime tip line at (206) 233-5000 with any information about these cases.