Early in the morning in Seattle's Belltown Queen Anne neighborhood, an attempted armed carjacking took a violent turn when a legally armed vehicle owner shot two of the assailants. The Seattle Police Department's Blotter reports that at approximately 3:30 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at the 2200 block of 1st Avenue, where they found one suspect with gunshot wounds.
The injured suspect was given medical aid by responding firefighters and then was transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in a serious condition, now under police armed guard. The incident started when the car owner, who was parked along 1st Avenue, was approached by a white sedan with four masked individuals. After they attempted to forcibly take the victim's sports car, fearing for his life, the victim managed to quickly draw his weapon and fire multiple shots, hitting one of the suspects.
As the investigation unfolds, the remaining suspects, who took off in the sedan before police arrived, remain at large. Not long after the first suspect was detained, a second gunshot victim was dropped off at HMC, also believed to be connected to the same incident, according to police. This second suspect is likewise in serious condition and being monitored by armed police.
Seattle detectives are now thoroughly examining the crime scene, gathering evidence, and interviewing potential witnesses as part of the ongoing probe into the robbery. The victim, a licensed gun owner, was brought to Seattle Police Headquarters for an interview before being released, which seems to suggest that he could have been justified in the use of his weapon. "Officers and robbery detectives processed the scene, collected evidence, and spoke to witnesses," the blotter entry states. The investigation remains active and has been assigned to the department's Robbery Unit.
