SEATTLE — A bystander shot and killed a gunman who shot two young men outside a downtown Seattle hotel Wednesday night, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Around 10 p.m., officers were dispatched to reports of gunshots at 1st Ave and Union Street. Officers arrived to find three people with gunshot wounds. Police gave them medical aid until Seattle Fire Department (SFD) medics arrived to take over.
Police — including SPD Chief Shon Barnes — and medics swarmed the streets outside the Four Seasons Hotel after the shootings. KOMO News video from the scene showed three bullet holes in a building just north of the hotel.
“Officers arrived within two minutes and began life-saving measures. Two of our officers are also qualified to be EMT, which we think really contributed to the outcome we see,” Barnes said.
Investigators said the shootings stemmed from an argument between three people, and during that argument, one man shot two victims. That’s when a bystander with a concealed weapons permit shot the gunman, according to SPD. Police said the bystander was not involved in the argument.
Both victims, boys 17 and 18 years old, had serious injuries. The suspect — a young man — was critically injured. All three were taken to Harborview, where the suspect later died, police and fire officials reported. On Thursday morning, one victim had been discharged and the other remained in the hospital in satisfactory condition, hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said.
Police said the bystander who shot the suspect cooperated with investigators. Detectives are working to determine what led up to the gunfire.
Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.
