Washington State Patrol detectives are seeking witnesses after a bullet struck a black Mercedes SUV on southbound I-5 near the Seattle Convention Center. No injuries were reported. (Photos: Washington State Patrol)
SEATTLE, Wash. — Washington State Patrol detectives are asking for witnesses after a vehicle was hit by gunfire early Tuesday on southbound Interstate 5 near the Seattle Convention Center.
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According to WSP, dispatchers received a 911 call at about 2:50 a.m. June 2 from a caller who reported that someone shot at their vehicle while they drove southbound on I-5.
Troopers contacted the victim and found that a bullet struck the right rear door of a black Mercedes SUV. The victim told troopers they heard a loud sound and felt an impact while driving.
No injuries were reported.
WSP released photos showing damage to the SUV’s rear passenger-side door area.
Detectives ask anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about the case to contact Detective Early at Todd.Early@wsp.wa.gov.
The investigation remains active.
Freeway shootings remain a concern
Two shootings in as many weeks draws concern as many worry they reflect a similar pattern of freeway gun violence surges that have long plagued the I-5 corridor through Western Washington.
According to WSP’s 2022 Annual Report, shooting incidents on Washington highways more than doubled in three years, rising from 459 in 2019 to 1,058 in 2022. WSP attributed the surge to gun violence, gang activity and, in some cases, road rage. Of those, confirmed drive-by freeway shootings represent a fraction. WSP spokesman Chris Loftis told MyNorthwest that confirmed freeway shootings hit 33 statewide in 2022, surged to 129 in 2023, and reached 60 through mid-September 2024.
A KING 5 investigation reviewing WSP 911 dispatch records found 577 calls from King County residents between February 2023 and February 2024 reporting a roadway gun crime. The vast majority involved drivers brandishing or pointing a firearm rather than firing.
The corridor drew national attention on Labor Day 2024, when a suspect in a white Volvo carried out six freeway shootings along I-5 in King and Pierce counties in two rapid bursts, injuring five people before officers arrested him in Fircrest following a brief pursuit. WSP Chief John Batiste called the rampage unacceptable. “People have the right to travel safely in this state and we are going to protect that right,” Batiste said.
Eleven days before Tuesday’s Seattle shooting, a driver in a black Honda Accord fired two rounds at a gray Toyota Corolla on southbound I-5 near the Tacoma Dome. One bullet penetrated the passenger-side door and narrowly missed the driver. WSP released a photo of the suspect behind the wheel. That case remains open. Anyone with information can contact Detective Adam Gruener at adam.gruener@wsp.wa.gov or (253) 538-3176.
Both investigations remain active and detectives continue to seek witnesses.
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