SEATTLE — Gunfire led to several 911 calls late Friday night when a shootout happened in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood. Video of the violent scene is now circulating online and has many calling for more safeguards in the neighborhood.
Officers arrived near East Union Street and 21st Avenue just before midnight and did not find anyone with injuries, according to a Seattle police spokesperson.
A loud fight followed by gunfire on Friday night is what startled Kim Kowalski.
"I woke up to the gunshots and it went boom, boom, boom… I could tell you how many times,” Kowalski said.
Close to where she lives, evidence of the shootout lines both sides of the street.
"I didn't realize that until yesterday,” she said.
"There's a bullet hole on the side of that car right there,” said neighbor Kate Faulkner. “I think several of the cars around here suffered damage."
Faulkner says the shootout unfolded close to a spot where people like to gather.
"Everybody wants to hang out here. Everybody wants to be together,” Faulkner said.
It is where safety has been a concern. Memorials mark the spot of past crime scenes. Four years ago, one person was shot and killed, and two others were hurt in the area.
Police report in Seattle the number of shots fired, and shootings jumped last year. In 2021, gunfire was spread out across the city compared to 2022 when it was more concentrated in neighborhoods like the Central District.
This year, the name of a neighborhood leader, D'Vonne Pickett Jr., was added to the corner after he was shot to death in October.
"It was heartbreaking,” said Faulkner. "He was a compassionate, interesting person. I always enjoyed talking to him. He wanted to offer something to the neighborhood. He wanted to offer services and a place to hang out."
She says the Central District needs more welcoming, safe spaces for young people, and more focus on preventing scenes like Friday’s shootout.
"It shouldn't take someone getting killed for everyone to pay attention, and I am glad this shooting is getting attention,” Faulkner said.
Other neighbors told KING 5 that they would like to see more mental health resources and more police patrols in the Central District.