‘It’s alarming’: 15-year-old killed in West Seattle restroom identified

A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot in a West Seattle restroom Tuesday afternoon.

At about 1:26 p.m., officers responded to the report of a shooting in the 2800 block of Southwest Thistle Street.

When they arrived, officers found a teen with a gunshot wound in the bathroom of a community building.

According to police, the boy was with friends when they came into the building, then the other kids left.

According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, the boy was identified as Mobarak Sharif Adam of Seattle.

“Several youths had entered the establishment, they noted their friend had been shot and then they left,” said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. “We’re still trying to get a little more detail about what occurred. Right now we have not had any reports of an altercation or anything that would suggest that.”

Police are working to determine the circumstances that led up to the shooting. They are also looking for the gun that was used.

The shooting hasn’t been labeled a homicide yet.

“We haven’t had a homicide this year so we’re not yet determining if this is a homicide,” said Chief Diaz. “We do have our homicide unit investigating this to determine if there is potential criminal activity but we’re still unsure of that at this moment.”

Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School are down the hill from where the shooting happened. Students were released from school an hour after the shooting. Dozens of students walking alone or in groups passed the active crime scene.

“I feel like they should at least text the parents if their kid is at the school,” said Monica Sayers who lives in the area. “Whether it’s at the middle or high school there should be some type of like an amber alert or something to the people that live there.”

Brooke Bridgeford’s son attends Denny International Middle School but stayed home on Tuesday.

She said she got no communication from the school about the shooting.

“I’m surprised I didn’t get that,” said Bridgeford.

Sheila Guarin-Juta has lived in the area for 30 years.

“Usually, I’m not that scared but now it’s like it’s alarming and I have to be more aware of my surroundings before I walk around,” she said.

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