Community Resilience: Safe Passage Returns to Rainier Beach Safeway After Shooting

by Phil Manzano

The blue pop-up awnings, bluer than Friday's sunny skies, were back at the Rainier Beach Safeway parking lot — people gathered, music was playing, and food was on the way.

And under the tents were members of Safe Passage, anti-gun-violence group Moms Demand Action, Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and others who have been safely "keeping space" on Friday nights for three years until gunfire erupted on July 28, injuring five people.

Shocking in its brazenness, shooters fired "dozens and dozens" of bullets into a space where community workers hosted healing circles, conversations, a meal if you needed it, all as a way to answer violence. On Friday, Aug. 25, community workers were still recovering from the trauma, but it was time to return to the work.

"So, we got to reclaim this space," said SE Network SafetyNet Executive Director Marty Jackson. The network, part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, oversees Safe Passage and other youth and violence-prevention programs. "This is a sacred space, the only space in our neighborhood that we could come and cry, and nobody judges you for it. Right? Get something to eat if you're hungry. Sit, be quiet, and not talk to nobody, and nobody will judge you for that. And we also want our families to have somewhere to come and grieve."

But it wasn't easy to return, say Jackson and SE Network SafetyNet Program Director Ricole Jones.

Jones recounts how she would meet people as she shopped at Safeway — "I live five minutes away" — who encouraged her to bring back the blue awnings and Safe Passage. But she was reluctant about returning.

"I understand that we seem like heroes, but we got real lives, and we go home and our kids are scared for us," Jones said. "And we're worried sometimes. And I'm not afraid to admit that.

"I understand my responsibility to heal. And so we're scared, we're scared to death sometimes. But we're gonna stand for the kids that need us, because at the end of the day, we understand we all have a common goal to take care of our kids."

Some changes were visible Friday: A black canvas was placed along the fence overlooking the parking lot where shooters had fired into the crowd. Trees were trimmed to open up more light to the parking lot. Safe Passage's hours have shifted from Friday evenings to 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays. And the group has asked Seattle Police for more patrols in the evening hours.

"I'm grateful and fortunate that although there were victims, everyone is still okay. Everyone is still with us," said D'Mario Mallory, Safe Passage director. Mallory was manning the blue tents when the shooting occurred and was wounded in the leg. Still, he was able to continue helping people during the chaos that unfolded.

"Fast forward to this event. I felt like this had to happen," Mallory said. "This had to happen to show that although [the shooting] happened, that we're still diligent, we're still more than willing to come and do this work, because we understand that this community needs to love and needs uplifting, and although fear [of] death [is now in] the equation, you can't let it stop our goal. And that is to bring more love to this community."

Larry Wilmore, executive director and founder of Fathers and Sons Together (FAST), had arrived at the Safeway the night of the shooting to see a wounded person lying on the ground and a massive police presence. "I was appalled," he said.

Still, he showed up last Friday to be among those supporting the organizations bringing peace and building community on Fridays at the Safeway parking lot. "Gunshots are not going to keep them away," he said.

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay says efforts like Safe Passage and the groups that practice violence prevention have been successful but don't always get the credit or sufficient funding.

"I want to emphasize one of the things that Marty said earlier, which is, it feels like the darkness gets a lot of attention, but the light doesn't," Zahilay said.

He says that in 2020, there were multiple shootings at the parking lot and a variety of government, political, business, nonprofit, and community leaders came together and, essentially, decided to "put our bodies on the line to protect everybody else."

For the following three years, until July 28, there weren't any shootings in the parking lot, Zahilay says.

"That's the light that we need to pay attention to," he said. "Because imagine how they feel when after three years of success, one incident makes it feel like all their work is upended. Imagine what that feels like: You're putting yourself between people and bullets for three years. And one incident gets all the attention, gets all the resources. That's a problem. That's a problem."

Zahilay calls for "hyper-focused intervention and prevention strategies" that reach specific people who are likely to shoot or be shot. Few organizations have that kind of reach or expertise, but he says community involvement and funding is critical for organizations like SE Network SafetyNet or Community Passageways, which can reach those groups.

Zahilay says there's a need for case managers to support survivors of gun violence. "Once somebody has been shot, the media attention probably goes away after a week, but that family has to live with those consequences for the rest of their lives." Case managers could work with families on issues such as child care, mental health services, and rental assistance.

Finally, he calls on community members to hold elected officials accountable for gun violence and public safety.

"It can't just be South End elected officials paying attention to these issues," he said. "I need you to hold your elected officials accountable, because this is not just a South End problem. This is a problem for our entire state. The same way I see governors and mayors and everybody talking about the wildfire smoke and COVID-19 … we need every level of government focused on these issues and coordinating with each other, and that means you the voters, the residents of this city, of this state have to hold them accountable to that."

📸 Featured Image: SE Network SafetyNet Executive Director Marty Jackson (center) emphasizes the need for the return of Safe Passage and Community Healing Space to the Rainier Beach Safeway parking lot. On her right is Ricole Jones, and far right is King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay. Safe Passage Director D'Mario Mallory is second from the left. (Photo: Susan Fried)