Officers in the South Precinct are trying to piece together information that led to a shooting last night in the Rainier Beach neighborhood.
At about 9:40 last night, officers responded to several reports of shots fired in the area of 56th Avenue South and South Fletcher Street. Officers arrived and located several spent shell casings in the 9200 Block of Rainier Avenue South. A witness told officers that it sounded like the shots were coming from behind a building, so officers checked and located several more casings on the sidewalk. Additional witnesses reported seeing four cars stop quickly just prior to the shots fired near 53rd and Fletcher and believed that three men got out of the cars, walking toward Rainier. Witnesses reported hearing shots fired and then seeing the men quickly run back to the cars and leave the area. One witness reported seeing one of the men with a handgun. Officers searched the area for the suspect vehicles but did not locate them. The evidence was collected and the incident was documented.
At approximately 10:10 pm, an 18-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his left heel was dropped off at Harborview Medical Center. East Precinct officers responded to HMC, but the man was very vague about the details of how he got shot and told officers that it occurred near 25th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. Officers responded to that location, but could not locate a crime scene, nor did any witnesses in the area report any shots fired at that location. East Precinct officers consulted with officers in the South Precinct and believe it is highly likely that the victim at HMC was involved in the Rainier Beach incident. The man’s injury is not considered life-threatening.