SEATTLE — Less than 36 hours after SDOT removed a non-permitted barrier put up by neighbors off of N 102nd and Aurora, neighbors say a shootout happened a block away from those homes.
Neighbors had previously installed the barriers days before to deter repeated gun violence. Both SPD and neighbors say no one was injured in the shooting.
Peter Orr, a concerned neighbor, recounted waking up to six gunshots. “So Sunday morning, I woke up at 5:58 a.m. to six gunshots. Right back in the neighborhood. Right up this street,” Orr said.
He believes the removal of the barriers has exposed the community to further violence. “It’s just opened the neighborhood to more pimp gunfire on the taxpayer dime,” Orr said.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson acknowledged the residents’ frustration. “I totally understand the deep frustration of residents in North Aurora,” Wilson said.
She affirmed the urgency of the situation, stating, “Absolutely. I mean, I think public safety in our neighborhoods is always an urgent issue.”
City Councilman Bob Kettle, who is also the city’s Public Safety Chair, indicated that the city is exploring several solutions, including increasing Seattle Police Department staffing.
“Well, it’s all of these little pieces. For one, SPD staffing,” Kettle said. Mayor Wilson also mentioned potential legislative efforts to allow for permanent barriers as a safety measure.
“And we’re going to be working with that with council, or as you might know, there is legislation that some members are proposing that would allow us to do more permanent barriers as a safety measure. So, we are going to work on that,” Wilson said.
Neighbors like Orr emphasize the critical need for immediate action due to the constant threat. “When it’s a matter of bullets on a nightly, nightly is a time crunch,” Orr said.
He expressed his determination to act rather than passively wait for further harm. “I’m not going to sit by and wait for a neighbor to be shot in the middle of the night. I’m going to do something,” Orr said.
Seattle’s Department of Transportation, the Mayor’s Office, City Council and Seattle Police Department are evaluating the situation over the next two weeks to determine next steps for the area.
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