SEATTLE, WA - On Saturday, July 7th, a shootout occurred in the early morning hours leaving one person injured and now, in the aftermath, one city councilmember says that the incident is believed to be the result of a turf war over prostitutes.
The shootout, which was caught on video surveillance and obtained by KOMO, shows an argument between at least one man and several other people. Moments after the confrontation began, the footage shows one of the suspects pulling out a gun and firing toward an opposing group. Other people returned fire, resulting in at least 15 gunshots within five seconds.
According to another report by KOMO, Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore said in a statement, "What I'm hearing from SPD is that it is turf wars between pimps. They are fighting over their property and they are making a good living off the backs of women who are being exploited because there is a lot of money at stake that is fueling the gun violence we are seeing."
The shooting happened at 3:30 a.m. at Aurora Ave N and N. 101st Street, jolting those who live in the area awake. Seattle police collected 30 shell casings. A woman was shot in the leg, but left the scene and showed up on her own at Harborview Medical Center. The woman is expected to be OK.
On Tuesday evening, July 9th, Moore attended the Quarterly Aurora Business Meeting. At the meeting, community members raised concerns about the recent shootings, including the one that happened just days prior. When asked what she can say to reassure the businesses and residents of District 5's north Seattle neighborhood, Moore said, "I am a member of the community. I share your concerns and I am doing everything in my power to try to make you safer. I am reaching out to everybody."
Moore said that she didn't want to give false hope, but she does believe that it will take a unified approach. She said that she has been in touch with the north precinct and that Seattle Police Department Interim Chief Sue Rahr is working with the Mayor's Office and the City Attorney's Office as well as the Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities on ways to make the area safer.
Some ideas that have come out of those conversations include adding possible street barriers and other environmental safety designs. In a statement, Mayor Bruce Harrell's office said, "Our office will continue with efforts to support a well-staffed police department, ensuring SPD has the resources to respond to the needs of the community and conduct swift, thorough investigations when incidents like this occur.
We have been seeing encouraging signs following the passage of the new police contract and process and advertising enhancements: applications have increased two-and-a-half times, from an average of 5.6 per day last year to more than 14.1 per day."
Those in the area, however, do not seem convinced. Rudy Pantoja lives in north Seattle and works with various members of the north Seattle business district. He said that he and other community members feel that they are on their own when it comes to staying safe during these violent times. He pointed to repeated shootouts in the neighborhood.
On June 11th, there was another shootout at the same location and that incident was also captured on surviellance. Pantoja said that he figured it was some kind of turf war since some of the shootings have been in the same location. He also wondered if they were related to the sex workers and their pimps often scene along Aurora Ave.
He said in a statement, "Whoever they (pimps) are, SPD needs to figure it out." He said that the gunfight in June left 21 bullet holes in one building's wall and that people are now afraid to come out of their homes. Pantoja said, "They should be able to come home feel safe and have a quality of life. They are absolutely afraid." As of this writing, no arrests have been made in the incident stemming from Saturday, July 6th.
The shootout, which was caught on video surveillance and obtained by KOMO, shows an argument between at least one man and several other people. Moments after the confrontation began, the footage shows one of the suspects pulling out a gun and firing toward an opposing group. Other people returned fire, resulting in at least 15 gunshots within five seconds.
According to another report by KOMO, Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore said in a statement, "What I'm hearing from SPD is that it is turf wars between pimps. They are fighting over their property and they are making a good living off the backs of women who are being exploited because there is a lot of money at stake that is fueling the gun violence we are seeing."
The shooting happened at 3:30 a.m. at Aurora Ave N and N. 101st Street, jolting those who live in the area awake. Seattle police collected 30 shell casings. A woman was shot in the leg, but left the scene and showed up on her own at Harborview Medical Center. The woman is expected to be OK.
On Tuesday evening, July 9th, Moore attended the Quarterly Aurora Business Meeting. At the meeting, community members raised concerns about the recent shootings, including the one that happened just days prior. When asked what she can say to reassure the businesses and residents of District 5's north Seattle neighborhood, Moore said, "I am a member of the community. I share your concerns and I am doing everything in my power to try to make you safer. I am reaching out to everybody."
Moore said that she didn't want to give false hope, but she does believe that it will take a unified approach. She said that she has been in touch with the north precinct and that Seattle Police Department Interim Chief Sue Rahr is working with the Mayor's Office and the City Attorney's Office as well as the Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities on ways to make the area safer.
Some ideas that have come out of those conversations include adding possible street barriers and other environmental safety designs. In a statement, Mayor Bruce Harrell's office said, "Our office will continue with efforts to support a well-staffed police department, ensuring SPD has the resources to respond to the needs of the community and conduct swift, thorough investigations when incidents like this occur.
We have been seeing encouraging signs following the passage of the new police contract and process and advertising enhancements: applications have increased two-and-a-half times, from an average of 5.6 per day last year to more than 14.1 per day."
Those in the area, however, do not seem convinced. Rudy Pantoja lives in north Seattle and works with various members of the north Seattle business district. He said that he and other community members feel that they are on their own when it comes to staying safe during these violent times. He pointed to repeated shootouts in the neighborhood.
On June 11th, there was another shootout at the same location and that incident was also captured on surviellance. Pantoja said that he figured it was some kind of turf war since some of the shootings have been in the same location. He also wondered if they were related to the sex workers and their pimps often scene along Aurora Ave.
He said in a statement, "Whoever they (pimps) are, SPD needs to figure it out." He said that the gunfight in June left 21 bullet holes in one building's wall and that people are now afraid to come out of their homes. Pantoja said, "They should be able to come home feel safe and have a quality of life. They are absolutely afraid." As of this writing, no arrests have been made in the incident stemming from Saturday, July 6th.
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