A quiet Seattle neighborhood was unsettled by a violent confrontation when a man assaulted two members of a family near Wedgwood Elementary School, authorities say. The incident, which occurred Sunday evening along 31st Ave NE, left a 70-year-old man hospitalized and prompted a police search for the assailant.
Witnesses recounted the random nature of the attack. Scott Waterman, who lives in the vicinity, was among the first to call 911 after confronting the suspect moments before the assault. "I heard the yelling, the screaming, the chaos and so I immediately called 911," Waterman told KOMO News. His own encounter with the suspect involved aggressive yelling about rabbits, and vulgar language, prompting Waterman to fear for his safety.
As reported by KING 5, the altercation followed when a 26-year-old man, walking with his parents, was approached and strangled by an unknown man, making it hard for him to breathe. The victim's father tried to intervene and was struck multiple times by the suspect, resulting in serious injuries. "The dad was laying on the ground and luckily the neighbors brought out a pillow and laid him on it and he was bloody like teeth, nose. The son was saying, 'Dad, hang in there, hang in there,'" recounted Waterman.
Seattle Police have taken up the investigation, but as of now, the suspect remains at large. Neighbors, accustomed to the tranquility of their street, expressed shock at the occurrence, expressing that the assault on the family had irrevocably altered a typical Sunday. While the attack seems to have been a singular incident, residents are left shaken, and community's sense of security appears to have frayed in its aftermath. Despite the suspect's current unknown whereabouts, the investigation continues as local law enforcement urges anyone with information to come forward, according to KREM 2 News.
