One man has died and another remains hospitalized in critical condition Monday following the latest shooting in Seattle‘s Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP.
Two males suffering gunshot wounds arrived at Harborview Medical Center’s Emergency Department.
The shooting victim who arrived at the hospital at 3:30 a.m. from the CHOP area on Capitol Hill in Seattle has unfortunately died, Susan Gregg, a hospital spokeswoman, told Fox News. He was transported to the hospital via Seattle Fire Department medics.
The other male arrived at about 3:15 a.m. by private vehicle. He remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
CHOP ORGANIZERS EYEING AREA NEAR PRECINCT, REFOCUSING AWAY FROM PARK: REPORT
The Seattle Police Department said officers were investigating a shooting near 12 Avenue and Pike Street, where two people were reported injured.
That corner is about two blocks away from Cal Anderson Park, where protesters initially camped out in tents to occupy the area first referred to as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
The encampment has become more difficult to manage, drawing violence and a large homeless population since the onset of the occupation three weeks ago.
Organizers on Sunday said they’re seeking to move into the abandoned East Precinct, where most protest leadership have already taken up shelter, as part of an effort to secure their best bargaining chip in convincing city officials to act on police reform and other demands, the Seattle Times reported.
City efforts to dismantle the CHOP were thwarted Friday when protesters laid down in the street to block Seattle Department of Transportation crews and heavy machinery from removing barricades around the occupied zone. Crews left after two hours without removing the barricades.
Negotiations between city leadership and organizers over the weekend did not prove fruitful, as hundreds of protesters have reportedly refused to leave the Capitol Hill area.
This is not the first shooting linked to the CHOP. The first and only fatality was recorded on June 20 when a 19-year-old protester was shot around 2:30 a.m. near Cal Anderson Park on 10th Avenue and East Pine Street inside the area referred to as the CHOP. Another man was injured in the incident.
“Officers attempted to locate a shooting victim but were met by a violent crowd that prevented officers’ safe access to the victims,” Seattle Police Department said in a press release at the time.
“Officers were later informed that the victims, both males, had been transported to Harborview Medical Center by CHOP ‘medics,’” it continued. “Officers responded to Harborview and were informed that one of the victims, a 19-year-old male, had died from injuries.”
The death prompted Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan to announce last week the city would begin efforts to dismantle the CHOP, asking organizers to convince protesters to disperse to avoid police intervention.
A 17-year-old was shot in the arm around 10 p.m. on June 21 near Cal Anderson Park.
“To ensure the safety of medical personnel, police staged with Seattle Fire at the edge of the CHOP area and were gathering information about where the shooting victim was located when they learned he had been transported in a private vehicle to Harborview Medical Center,” a police press release said.
He has since been released from the hospital and declined to speak with detectives.
A man in his 30s was shot early June 23. Police received multiple 911 calls around 4:30 a.m. to report someone had been shot in the 1100 block of East Denny Way.
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“Officers and Seattle Fire Department medics staged nearby and met the victim outside the area known as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP),” a police press release said.
“The victim refused to provide any information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting or a suspect description to officers. Medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound to the calf.”
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
