Teenage girls gunned down in Burien identified; one was just 13

Elizabeth Juarez, 13.(Photo courtesy of family)



SEATTLE -- The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Friday identified one of the teenage victims shot to death in Burien, and the family of the other victim released her identity and photo.

The two girls were shot and killed outside of an apartment complex in Burien Wednesday night in what the King County Sheriff's Office said may have been related to gang violence.

The medical examiner's office identified one of the victims as Eveona Cortez, 19, and listed her cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.

The medical examiner said it is still trying to identify the second victim and could not yet release her identity. But the family of the victim identified her as Elizabeth Juarez, 13.



Neighbors began dropping off flowers where two teenage girls were gunned down at the Alturas apartment complex on SW 139th Street, near Ambaum Boulevard SW.

Sheriff's Sgt. Ryan Abbott says investigators have not identified the shooter and still need the public's help. Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and charges in the case.

Abbott said it was initially thought that it was a drive-by shooting, but the shooting was later determined to have taken place outside of an apartment complex during some sort of altercation.

"We still don't know the motive for it," he said Wednesday night, after the shooting.

"We have nobody in custody, no suspect description," he added.

He said, however, that there were several witnesses, who said one or two or more suspects appeared to have left the area in a vehicle after the shooting.