Murder of South Seattle woman prompts nearby residents to take extra precautions

SEATTLE -- Linh Nguyen’s murder has neighbors scared it will happen again, so Wednesday night they got together with police and community leaders to talk about what can be done to make their part of town safe.

Those who live in South Seattle used words like “tragic” and “horrific” to describe the recent crimes against women in their neighborhood.



Seattle police say crime was actually down in South Seattle last year, compared to the year before.

However, Nguyen was just one of several women to be attacked toward the end of 2016.

Those cases, especially Nguyen’s, are why people like Pat Murakami, who leads the South Seattle Crime Prevention Council, say the city needs to act now.

“There are people who received serious injuries because somebody has run up behind them and shoved them down,” said Murakami. “I don’t know what it’s going to take city council to wake up to the fact that we have a serious problem in the city.”

Police said addressing violent robberies like the one that killed Ngyuen is a big priority for the department, and so they’re asking for the public’s help to solve open cases.

They say officers are working with businesses in the area to try to make them less attractive targets.

Murakami also believes if the city can find some long-term solutions to homelessness, it would naturally help cut down on crime across the city. She is currently advising people to walk together in groups of three or more to deter criminals.