3 shootings near Garfield High raise concerns about security, safety

Seattle police are investigating three recent shootings near Garfield High School, and while none involved students, the school increased security measures after one of the incidents.

Two of the shootings, including the most recent this past weekend, occurred near the Garfield Teen Life Center, a city facility next to the high school. A meeting will be held Monday for Garfield families to address student, staff, and parent concerns, a Seattle Public Schools spokesperson said.

The first shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. May 18 in the Garfield Teen Life Center parking lot. Police were called after multiple reports of a shooting, the Seattle Police Department said in an online blotter post.

Police found a 19-year-old man with gunshot wounds in the parking lot and provided aid until Seattle Fire arrived and took over medical care.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Officers found several shell casings at the scene, which they later learned were from a gun fired from a white sedan that fled the area. A window of the Garfield Teen Life Center was shattered during the shooting.

In a letter sent to Garfield students and family after the first shooting, principal Dr. Tarance Hart said the 19-year-old is not a Garfield student.

“At the time of the incident, Garfield track and softball practices were underway. We quickly moved to a shelter in place. Staff moved all students who were on campus inside. The shelter-in-place was lifted after SPD indicated that it was safe to do so,” Hart said.

Additional security and staff were on campus Friday after the shooting. Administrative and security staff greeted students as they arrived on campus. 

“We are committed to working together as a community to ensure the safety of all our students and staff,” Hart said.

The second shooting near the high school happened just after 5:30 p.m. May 24 at the intersection of 26th Avenue and East Jefferson Street.

There were multiple reports of gunshots, and when police arrived, they located several casings and a bullet hole in a parked vehicle. At the time, no suspects or victims were located, police said online.

After speaking with witnesses and collecting evidence, police learned a juvenile male was dropped off at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. The juvenile is in stable condition, according to police.

The juvenile is not a student at Garfield, said Tim Robinson, a spokesperson at Seattle Public Schools.

“The shooting, unfortunately, just happened to be in the vicinity,” Robinson said, adding the district did not send a message to students and families afterward.

The third shooting happened shortly after 10 on Friday night, police said. When officers arrived near 25th Avenue and East Jefferson Street, they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

A semi-automatic handgun was found at the scene, along with multiple shell casings.

Police are asking anyone with information about either of the two shootings to call the violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000.