SEATTLE — A shooting in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood early this morning claimed the life of one man and sent a lot of people ducking for cover.
Police are still searching for the shooter or shooters, as well as a motive.
“It was so rapid it was just like: pop pop pop pop pop pop,” said Katharine Cook.
Cook was shaken out of bed, at her Olive Tower Apartment overlooking Capitol Hill as a gun battle erupted near Pine Street and Melrose Avenue just after 2:00 a.m.
Seattle police found a man who'd been shot in the back of the head in a parking lot.
They say it appears there were several gunmen firing at each other.
We counted well over a dozen evidence markers as homicide and CSI detectives combed through the scene that stretched a block and a half.
Cook and others heard a volley of shots: around 20.
They didn’t hear anything for a short time; then they heard about five more shots.
Cook feared the worst.
“I was afraid it was another rampage thing like the Cafe Racer," she said referring to the deadly 2012 shooting at a Seattle cafe.
"I think there was a lot of confusion going on a lot of people hit the ground,” said Mat Koelsch. “Just very concerning to see this in this area."
Koelsch was in his apartment when he too heard the shots and saw around 10 people at the nearby dog park ducking for cover.
“They were kind of hunched over and everybody said: ‘Get down! Don't make any movement. They're coming around the corner!’” he said. “And then you heard kind of a car squeal its tires.”
We found one car with a bullet hole in the tire in the parking lot where the victim was found.
Witnesses say it's a miracle no one else was hurt.
“Capitol Hill is a really safe area. I think it's just a random thing that happened,” said Cook.
The victim was rushed to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, and later died.
Seattle police are asking any witnesses to call them at (206) 233-5000.