SEATTLE — Police say a man was shot after an argument erupted on a street in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood.
Seattle police officers established a large crime scene area around First Avenue and Bell Street after gunfire rang out at about 2:50 a.m. on Monday.
Witnesses reported seeing a person shot at Second Avenue. The victim ran toward First Avenue and Bell Street before collapsing.
Crime scene tape blocked off a large area where a blood trail was visible, but firefighters have since cleaned up the scene and have re-opened Bell Street.
A man who said he knew the victim gave him medical help at the scene.
That man, whose shirt had a bloodstain, called himself Staff Sgt. Royal, and said he's a Gulf War veteran whose Army training helped him know what to do.
“He collapsed right over there. He went into shock. (I) tied a tourniquet around his leg when he went into shock and I got a blanket for him, too. Paramedics got here pretty fast,” said Royal.
The victim was transported to Harborview with life-threatening injuries.
The shooting left a bullet hole in the window of Bedlam, a coffee shop owned by Ben Borgman.
"The whole shop was just powdered with tiny bits of glass. We found the hole and it was like, 'Oh, look, we took a hit,' and then as I sweeped under the table, I found the bullet," said Borgman.
Borgman said the same thing happened at the back door of his business after a shooting on New Year's.
According to Borgman, there’s been seven shootings in the neighborhood in the three years he’s owned the shop.
He said police patrol the area, but he wants more done to stop the violence and would like to see a seattle police substation in the neighborhood to help deal with crime.
"They're doing stuff, (but) it doesnt seem to be working," said Borgman.
Police said the gunman is still at large.