'I'm gonna blow your brains out:' Man assaults, threatens UW student inside off-campus home
Police looking for shirtless man who entered U-District home, assaulted student
At about 5 a.m., police responded to a house near Northeast 47th Street and 18th Avenue Northeast after multiple people reported that they were woken up by a man inside their home.
SEATTLE - Seattle police are searching for a man who entered a home in the University District and assaulted a student inside after threatening her with a gun.
At about 5 a.m., police responded to a house near Northeast 47th Street and 18th Avenue Northeast after multiple people reported that they were woken up by a man inside their home.
The student who was assaulted is shaken up, but otherwise okay. She is currently recovering at home with family.
"When she opened her eyes at around 5 in the morning, there was a stranger staring at her. [She] looked up, screamed and told him to get out. At that point, he got a little irritated, pulled [a gun] out, held it to her head and said, 'I'm gonna blow your brains out.' He made her turn around on her stomach, put her hands behind her back, and touched at that point briefly before he left," the victim's father told FOX 13.
Others were in the home at the time the man entered and someone was already on the phone with 911 by the time they heard the victim scream.
Surveillance video captured images of the man and police were able to identify a person of interest.
After searching the area, police could not locate him.
The University of Washington gave the following statement to FOX 13 News on Monday:
"This is a deeply frightening incident for our students and for the greater community living north of campus. UW staff are supporting the students involved with connections to counseling and other resources. We hope Seattle Police can quickly locate this individual. We are grateful to see that SPD’s emphasis patrols assigned as of this past week include the area along University Way NE and the Greek Row neighborhood.
"We're asking our UW community to stay vigilant, keep doors and windows locked, and report any suspicious activity to police. Seattle Police Department is handling the investigation for this incident and specific questions should be directed to that department."
The student's father said he is helping ramp up security in the house on Greek Row.
"We’re making some significant changes to the security and how you go in and out. Automatic locks, gun safety. We’re doing some significant things to make sure that the girls feel safe moving forward," he said.
UW and SPD have also increased patrols in that area following several shootings. So far, SPD has tracked 135 violent crimes in the U-District this year alone-- 87 of those crimes were aggravated assaults, police told FOX 13.
Anyone with information that may lead to identifying the man is asked to call the Seattle Police Department's tip line at 206-233-5000.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can submit information and photos to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound through the P3 Tips App on your cell phone or at www.P3Tips.com. You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to his arrest.