SEATTLE — A Seattle smoke shop owner whose business was hit by a crash-and-grab burglary on back-to-back days exchanged gunfire with suspects early Friday morning before they fled the scene.
The City Smoke Shop was victimized by a crash-and-grab burglary in the early hours of Thursday morning. A large group of suspects used a vehicle to smash into the business, then go inside and steal items from inside the store.
Seattle police say the same smoke shop was then hit by a nearly identical crash-and-grab just a day later on Friday morning. Police say that while the suspects were inside the business after smashing into it with a vehicle, the owner arrived "armed with a gun." At least one of the suspects shot at the owner, and he returned fire, police say. No injuries were reported and all the suspects fled the scene, police say.
One of the suspects' vehicles was seen fleeing westbound on South Graham Street before it eventually crashed near South Albro Place and the Interstate 5 overpass. The occupants fled the vehicle, and despite police arriving and deploying a K-9 unit, they say none of the suspects were apprehended.
Police say the suspects in Thursday morning's crash-and-grab also were armed, as one of them fired two gunshots in the air after a passerby who was yelling at the suspects was confronted by another of them. The passerby reported punching the suspect during the confrontation.
It is not clear if it was the same suspects in both crash-and-grabs, but both reports indicate 8-9 suspects were involved and used multiple vehicles.
Seattle police say robbery units are investigating.