Teen Shot and Killed in Garfield High Parking Lot; Police Search for Suspect

by Lauryn Bray

Police are in search of the suspect who fatally shot a 17-year-old Garfield High School student in the school's parking lot on Thursday, June 6.

At around 12:30 p.m., police responded to calls reporting gunfire at the school. "There was an altercation between two high-school-aged males. The victim in this incident tried to intervene and break up a fight," said Seattle Police Department (SPD) Deputy Chief Eric Barden during a press conference with Mayor Harrell and interim Police Chief Sue Rahr Thursday evening. "Sometime after that — it's unclear whether it was immediately after that or a few minutes — one of the original combatants approached the victim, apparently angry that they had intervened. Some words were exchanged, [and] there was some altercation. Then the suspect pulled out a weapon and fired a number of rounds at our victim, striking our victim."

The suspect then fled the area, leading to pursuit by police, who were unsuccessful at tracking him down. The victim was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead after lifesaving efforts at 6:15 p.m.

"The bottom line is we have too many guns on our streets. It's too easy to get access to a gun. This message may seem repetitive, but it is the absolute truth in our country, in our state, and indeed in our city," said Mayor Harrell at the press conference. "There's a commonality that we see across these kinds of incidents, and until we address the barrage of guns in our city, we'll never be able to make sustainable progress."

Rahr also spoke, assuring Central District community members that SPD's increased presence in the neighborhood will be collaborative. "SPD is going to redouble our efforts in this community to try and help the students and the people who live up here to feel a sense of safety," said Rahr. "We're not coming in here to be hardcore police. We're coming into the neighborhood to gather [and] work with the community."

The investigation is open and ongoing. "I am hopeful that, as the interviews are continuing as we speak, we will be able to identify the suspect who is described as a high-school-aged male," said Barden, before promising to keep the community "updated and informed."

If you have any information on the shooting, please call SPD's Homicide Tip Line at 206-233-5000.

Featured Image: Garfield High School. (Photo: Jaidev Vella)