SEATTLE — Police are investigating after a 15-year-old boy died after being shot in downtown Seattle Wednesday night.
The shooting happened around 7:15 p.m. on the 1500 block of Third Avenue, which is near the intersection of Third Avenue and Pike Street. When officers arrived, they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Officers gave the shooting victim first aid before Seattle Fire Department medics took over. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition, but he later died from his injuries.
The King County Medical Examiner identified the victim Friday as 15-year-old Michael Delbianco.
Initially, police said the male died was in his teens or early 20s.
Seattle police detective Valerie Carson said investigators are reviewing surveillance video from the area to see if it captured the incident.
The Seattle Police Department's Crime Scene Investigation Unit responded to the scene to document and collect evidence. Seattle homicide detectives are investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Violent Crime Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
Wednesday’s shooting happened just a few blocks away from where another man was shot and killed Sunday afternoon.
The ongoing violence in the downtown core, specifically in the area of Third Avenue and Pike Street, is causing concern for business owners as they’ve become increasingly vocal about crime in the city.
Following Sunday’s shooting, the owner of Piroshky Piroshky announced the popular bakery would close its Third Avenue location in downtown "until further notice" over "countless safety concerns."
Seattle police recently acknowledged property crime in the downtown core increased in 2021. The downtown core saw aggravated assaults increase from 204 in 2020 to 276 in 2021, according to data from the city. There have been at least 25 reported so far this year.
A total of 3,290 aggravated assaults were reported in Seattle in 2021, well above the 2,656 reported in 2020. There have been at least 284 reported so far this year.
Mayor Bruce Harrell previously said his answer to the increase in crime over the course of January and beyond was to direct interim Police Chief Diaz to initially focus on hotspots where crime has been concentrated and to focus on the “relatively few” criminals causing the most harm, especially those using guns.