We are seeing some sort of odd trend or angst recently, as more shootings take place on Friday. Once again the SPD Blotter notes another early morning Friday shooting, this time in an alleyway in Columbia City across from a hip hop show. Witnesses from a nearby bar at Rainier Ave S and S Hudson Street heard a single gunshot, the bullet striking the victim, a 25-year-old male, in the abdomen. A local citizen later drove the victim to Harborview. Police report the gang unit is now looking into this case. more ›

Last night there was a drive-by shooting in Pioneer Square (at James and 2nd Ave.) in what appears to be another outbreak of gang violence. No one appeared to be hurt, as it was 3 a.m. on the snowiest day of the year and the streets were all but deserted; the only two witnesses are saying the car might have been a VW Passat, which is not very gangsta. We're just saying. Four businesses were hit and the ever-competent SPD gang unit is investigating. As a commenter on the P-I article points out, it's kind of ironic that the mayor starts talking about banning guns from public places while gang violence simultaneously intensifies. Then the commenter starts talking about citizen deputies and vigilantism, thereby losing our initial support. That's not the kind of civilian involvement we need here. more ›

Last night's shooting of an 18-year-old man outside of the Garfield Community Center was the first news item in Seattlest Abbey's local blog round-up this morning, and we received concerned emails about it overnight. We still haven't seen any official word that this is a gang-related shooting, but it is perhaps ironic that it happened on the same day that local law enforcement announced a renewed commitment to combating street violence. Seattle 911 has an interesting video with responses to last night's crime from the community center staff and the cops, below. more ›