Seattle Police investigate fourth shooting in four weeks on Capitol Hill



SEATTLE – Police are investigating the shooting of a woman, described to be in her 20’s in a parking lot in Capitol Hill. It's the fourth shooting in the area in four weeks.

Police reports said the woman was shot in the chest on the 1400 block of Broadway just before 2:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. She is expected to recover. Shell casings were recovered at the scene, a Banfield Pet Hospital window was damaged, and a car as well.

“The other one is still stuck in the engine,” said David Roman, as he showed Q13 News the slug he recovered. He said his BMW was shot twice, once in the bumper and the other bullet went through the side of his car and ended up somewhere in the engine.

“We turned the car on and the oil instantly started spewing out," he said.

Roman and his girlfriend went out last night in Capitol Hill to celebrate her birthday. They chose the parking lot near Banfield Pet Hospital, because they said it looked safe.

“I figured this was probably the safest one,” said Roman, his girlfriend added that the spot is supposed to be patrolled 24 hours a day.

The scene they returned to later that night had turned into a frenzy of blue and red police lights. They said it felt like 20 police units were outside the parking lot, right around 2:30 a.m..

The shooting happened near their car.  Roman said, had he left the bar when they wanted to they would’ve been in the car.

It’s the fourth shooting in just as many weeks in Capitol Hill.

On Thursday morning a cyclist was shot in the shoulder, and on July 23rd, police investigated reported gunshots at Broadway and Pike. The Saturday before that, Seattle police found six shell casings in a parking lot shooting in the 1500 block of Broadway. All the shootings happened in the same area.

“I do try to avoid the Capitol Hill crowds now just because it just a different crowd now than it was five years ago,” said Rachael Swift, who lives in the neighborhood. “I have maybe actually heard the shots once out of the four times,” she said.

“This is where a lot of people call their homes and they should be concerned,” said Sam Ditty, who added, “I am concerned for them.”

Another woman said that she doesn’t feel safe near Pike and Broadway. “I am a little afraid in my neighborhood,” said Isabel Trujillo. “I mean I have actively avoided this area for a while for those reasons.”

Roman said he had no idea the place he thought was safe, was the same place that others actively avoided. “I was shocked, pretty shocked,” he said.

Seattle police started extra patrols in Capitol Hill four months ago to specifically prevent gun violence.

It came on the heels of two shootings in the same night that injured four.

Police are actively seeking anyone with information regarding the shooting on August 6th to come forward.