The chilling discovery of two 16-year-old boys found dead within ten hours and mere miles apart along Interstate 5 in Seattle has triggered a major investigation by the Washington State Patrol (WSP). Both teens bore the scars of gunshot wounds—a brutal testament to the violence that had claimed their young lives.

Authorities were first alerted to the grim scene late Thursday evening when a 911 call reported a possible pedestrian hit on I-5 north of North 85th Street. Troopers arriving at the location quickly deduced the teenager had not been the victim of a traffic accident but of a gunshot, as detailed by NBC15. The following morning, less than a quarter-mile away, another call led detectives to a body discarded in a ditch by the Northeast 85th Street onramp, as per WSP Trooper Rick Johnson's statement to KIRO 7.

The proximity of the two scenes and fatalities has thrust an alarming spotlight on this stretch of I-5, orchestrating an intense investigation to determine if these cases are related. "But this....you know, two within a certain period of time....you know it's sad," Johnson told KIRO 7 in a reflection of the morose reality troopers are facing as they comb through the evidence.

An outpouring of information has yet to unfold from the Washington State Patrol, with Trooper Rick Johnson delineating that detectives are "hard at work putting the pieces together," according to FOX 13 Seattle. Found dead in a ditch, the second teen was located by troopers called to the scene around 8 a.m. Friday, with Seattle Fire Department medics pronouncing the already deceased teen. The Washington State Department of Transportation reported the incident, causing traffic delays as the I-5 on-ramp was temporarily blocked for investigation.