Seattle police officers investigated a trio of separate shootings that occurred between early Friday and early Saturday, police officials said. One involved a business owner allegedly shooting a burglar in self-defense; a second altercation involved a chain saw.
Police began investigating one incident around 2:05 a.m. Friday, responding to a reported burglary at a commercial building in the 4200 block of Rainier Avenue South. A 42-year-old man was shot after he broke into the business and was confronted by the armed 71-year-old owner, who allegedly shot the intruder in self-defense, the Seattle Police Department said in a blog post.
The man was shot in the hand and was found by police a few blocks away from the business. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition and was placed under arrest for investigation of burglary.
The business owner told detectives that the alleged burglar was armed with a blade. The gun used in the shooting was seized for evidence, as were the shears that the police believe were wielded by the 42-year-old suspect.
Another shooting occurred early Friday in North Seattle, SPD said in a separate blog post. It happened about a half-hour before the attempted burglary.
Police responded to North 90th Street and Aurora Avenue North around 12:51 a.m. Friday after reports of a shooting and a woman screaming. They found a man, 24, with a gunshot wound to the leg near Nesbit Avenue North. He was taken to Harborview in serious condition.
The 24-year-old and another man were reportedly threatening people with a chain saw before the shooting, police say. The events of the shooting are under investigation. At the scene, police found “multiple shell casings, suspected narcotics and the chainsaw.”
Finally, at 3:40 a.m. Saturday, SPD posted on the social platform X about a shooting in the 900 block of 10th Avenue East. Two victims were allegedly injured by gunfire, and police advised the public to avoid the area.