BELLTOWN, Wash. — A gas station clerk was shot and killed shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday at a 76 station near Denny Way and Broad Street in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood.
Police are searching for the shooter, described as a heavy-set man dressed in all-black clothing. SPD says the suspect entered the store, purchased a drink, and shot the clerk, before walking away without taking any money or merchandise.
Investigators confirmed the shooting was not a robbery and said it remains unclear whether the attack was random or targeted.
Detective Brian Pritchard with the Seattle Police Department emphasized the urgency of identifying and locating the suspect.
“A person coming in, not stealing any items, and shooting the clerk, that’s pretty scary,” Pritchard said. “We want this person off the street.”
Customer Fred Forrest stopped at the gas station to get coffee on his way to work, shortly after the shooting occurred.
Forrest said he became concerned after seeing that the security door leading behind the counter was open and nobody was immediately visible.
“So, I walk, get my stuff, get my coffee, come over, and I’m waiting, and then I see a stool tipped over… that was a bad sign,” Forrest said.
Forrest said he walked behind the counter to investigate further.
“So, I go around the corner, I see money on the ground, and I see the man,” Forrest said.
Forrest found the clerk on the ground surrounded by blood and unresponsive.
“No, he was gone,” Forrest said.
Forrest said he immediately called 911 and responding officers arrived at the scene within minutes.
A fellow employee at the 76 gas station described the slain clerk off camera as one of the nicest people she has known.
Seattle police detectives spent hours collecting evidence at the scene to establish a timeline and determine a motive. Authorities urge anyone with information or tips about the shooting to contact the Seattle Police Department or Crime Stoppers.