A man was stabbed in Occidental Square on Sunday afternoon, then walked to the Pioneer Square Link station and boarded a northbound train. At approximately 4:30 p.m. Sunday, responders found him at the Symphony Station at Third Avenue before paramedics transported him to Harborview Medical Center. He remained in critical condition.
The response occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. Sunday, according to KOMO News, which reported that Seattle police said the man was stabbed in Occidental Square before walking to the Pioneer Square station and boarding a northbound train. Seattle Police had jurisdiction over the investigation, while Sound Transit deputies initially responded and cleared the scene. As of Sunday evening, the case remained a developing story with the suspect still unidentified and unaccounted for.
Why County Deputies, Not City Police, Lead the Case
In this case, Seattle Police retained jurisdiction over the investigation, while Sound Transit deputies initially responded and cleared the scene.
Sunday's attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents that have rattled Link riders over the past two and a half years. In May 2024, a 37-year-old man died at Harborview after suffering multiple stab wounds inside the Capitol Hill Link station, a case Hoodline covered in reporting on the fatal stabbing. Then in February 2024, a fatal shooting aboard a downtown train between Pioneer Square and University Street stations led to a 15-year prison sentence handed down in May, a case Hoodline detailed in its coverage of the downtown train killing sentence.
A Pattern of Platform and Onboard Violence
Other incidents have also involved riders and trains. At Northgate Station, an attempted push targeted a waiting rider near an oncoming train; the rider caught himself before officers made an arrest. And in April, Seattle Police responded to a stabbing along Rainier Avenue South near the Mount Baker Link station, where witnesses reported a 35-year-old victim was chased by two men before being stabbed twice in the leg and taken to Harborview in serious condition, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
Sound Transit has responded to the mounting incidents with a series of security investments. The agency's total on-site security presence was more than twice as large as in 2022 and exceeded 480 officers, according to KING 5. Last August, the agency set a target of putting uniformed security officers aboard a quarter of all in-service Link trains.
Safety Numbers Move In Different Directions
Sound Transit's own annual safety report, released last August, showed a mixed picture. The report recorded 256 assaults on passengers, KIRO 7 reported in its breakdown of the safety report.
Transit safety discussions have also included the possibility of structural fixes.
Sunday's stabbing remains an active investigation, and no arrests have been announced. The suspect's identity, motive, and whereabouts remain unknown as Seattle Police retain jurisdiction over the investigation and Sound Transit deputies have cleared the scene.
