SEATTLE — Business owners and community leaders in Seattle’s Chinatown International District are calling for change after 10 people were stabbed over two days.
One person stabbed in the CID Friday has been released from Harborview Medical Center, while three more are still in the hospital in satisfactory condition.
A 37-year-old man is charged with stabbing five people Friday, all in the vicinity of 12th Avenue and Jackson Street in the CID. Investigators believe he’s likely behind a total of 10 violent knife attacks in less than 40 hours.
KING 5 is not naming the suspect until he is formally charged.
Two days after the stabbing, the sidewalks near 12th and Jackson were packed with people, and drug use was in plain sight while the police were not. Outgoing Councilmember Tanya Woo echoed the cries of residents and business owners who say their neighborhood needs help.
“I think a lot of the small businesses here are fearful of the perception of public safety and I think that now more than ever this area, the Chinatown International District needs more love and more care and for the community to show up,” said Woo.
At least one of the stabbings Friday happened in broad daylight and was captured on a traffic camera. Restaurant Owner Henry Ku said the situation has not improved in the year since his shop opened.
“I have not survived. The business cannot survive. How do you make your living?” Ku said. “We cannot hope that things are going better. We need to do things better."
Police and Mayor Bruce Harell's office insist change is on the way, citing programs already in the works to install CCTV cameras and lighting in the area in addition to increasing patrols.
Late Friday, Harrell called the stabbings “horrific” and “appalling,” adding that the city will increase “law enforcement resources and patrols to quickly respond to and deter illegal activities.”
“This incident was apparently one individual, over a 38-hour period of time committing random assaults. That is not an aberration, that is not at all the norm. With the suspect in custody, I think we are going to return to normal and in a couple of weeks, I think we will be better than we are now after our efforts,” and Eric Barden, an assistant chief for the Seattle Police Department.
A promise community leaders said they’ll believe when they see it.
“We’re approaching this with cautious optimism. We’re hoping for the best, but we are expecting the worst,” Woo said.
Incoming Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck sent KING 5 a statement that read, in part:
"My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence. To our neighbors who live and work in the International District: Your safety is a priority. This neighborhood is a vital part of our city's cultural fabric, and we stand united with you."
In a statement, the group Friends of Little Saigon said the neighborhood needs “police to address crime” but is also in need of “health and social services to support those suffering from drug addiction, behavioral health issues, and unmet basic needs.”