On a night where anti-Trump protests were happening around the country, tragedy struck near the site of such a demonstration in Seattle.
Shortly before 7 p.m. local time, gunshots were reported at Third Avenue around Pine Street. At the same time, an anti-Trump rally was proceeding down streets just a few miles away. There was no connection between the two events, despite some fevered initial reports to the contrary.
According to the Seattle Police Department, five people were shot (four male and one female), and one of the men was said to be in critical condition. All of the victims were moved to Harborview Medical Center.
Local station KOMO is reporting that the shooter is still at large.
The police said that the shooting resulted from "an argument." "The suspect began to walk away from the crowd, turned and fired back into the crowd, striking those five individuals," said Seattle police Assistant Chief Robert Merner .
The shooting occurred just outside a 7/11. The store's manager Sharon Keith shared what happened in the aftermath of the shooting with reporters:
Streets around the shooting will be closed for several hours as police investigate.
As of 8:30 p.m. local time, there was updated information about the conditions of the victims.
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray released a statement about the incident, where he referenced another shooting earlier in the day:
“Today, two shootings occurred in Seattle, including one with five victims Downtown. Thankfully, all of the victims are alive and receiving treatment.
