Fatal stabbing of King County Metro bus driver highlights Seattle transit safety concerns

Updated on 12/19/24 at 3:15 p.m.

A King County Metro bus driver was fatally stabbed in Seattle's University District neighborhood early Wednesday morning. Shawn Yim, 59, was stabbed in the chest amid an altercation with a passenger, officials say.

The Seattle Police Department has identified 53-year-old Richard Sitzlack as a suspect in the stabbing, connecting clothing seen in video surveillance footage with descriptions provided to police. An initial K9 search for the suspect unsuccessful, and police are asking anyone with information about Sitzlack's whereabouts to call 911 immediately.

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Leaders of the union representing Metro transit operators say the stabbing is part of a larger pattern of violence aimed at bus drivers and passengers.

Officers responded to reports of a stabbing near 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 41st Street shortly before 3:00 a.m. They provided medical aid to Yim, who had collapsed from his injuries after walking a short distance from the bus, police say. Yim died at the scene.

"[Yim] was very well liked, loved, and respected," said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587-Seattle President Greg Woodfill during a press conference Wednesday. "He's going to be deeply missed. I believe we have an operator here who talked to him shortly before his shift last night. So we're all in shock."

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Yim's death marks the first killing of a King County Metro bus driver on the job in 26 years. In 1998, bus operator Mark McLaughlin was shot and killed by a passenger who later turned the gun on himself.

Wednesday's stabbing also comes a day after Metro announced it would indefinitely halt bus service in the Little Saigon area of Seattle's Chinatown-International District neighborhood, citing ongoing safety concerns near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. The area has become known as a crime hotspot in recent years.

In November, a man was arrested in connection with a two-day stabbing spree near the area, in which 10 victims were injured. No deaths were reported in connection with the mass-stabbing.

RELATED: Seattle police arrest suspect following 'arbitrary' stabbings of 10 people in Chinatown-International District

Speaking at Wednesday's press conference, King County Executive Dow Constantine attempted to ease any fears of riding public transit in the wake of Yim's death.

"We move hundreds of thousands of people a day with very rarely a serious incident," he said. "So transit is, on the whole, a safe way to get around. What happens on the streets can spill over onto transit, and we have to clean up the situation on the streets that involves interventions, mental health, addiction. I don't know what the situation was with this person who committed this outrageous act of violence, but we're going to find out."

In contrast, Local 587-Seattle leaders said in a written statement that the group has seen an uptick in violence toward drivers and passengers, referring to the attacks as an "epidemic."

"Unfortunately, this brutal killing is not an isolated incident," the statement reads. "ATU members have been shot, stabbed, and struck with canes, fire extinguishers, screwdrivers, hammers, and garbage cans. They have been attacked with pepper spray, burned with hot coffee, and doused in urine and spit. Bus drivers have been robbed for pocket change, and have been regularly sexually assaulted."

Union leaders have outlined several demands of the county, including secure, isolated compartments for bus drivers, a significant increase in the number of Metro transit police officers, and the creation of a regional task force on transit safety and security.

King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn said in a written statement that Yim's death "highlights the immense public safety challenges faced in Seattle, which are a direct result of historically low numbers of police on the street."

Dunn's statement continues, "While the King County Council just invested an additional $4.7 million in Metro's Safety, Security, and Fare Enforcement Reform Initiative (SaFE), the safety of our services are impacted by the safety of Seattle. Our Metro drivers deserve better."

Constantine pledged to work with the union to make buses safer. He said the county has already vastly expanded its transit security program.

“We are doing everything we can and will continue to ramp up our efforts to make sure that transit is safe for everyone, especially for the brave operators who are out there on the streets every day," he said.

Police are urging anyone with information about the stabbing to come forward by calling 911 or the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Local 587-Seattle has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to the prosecution of Yim's killer.

This story has been updated to include new information about the suspect in Yim's killing.

Ann Dornfeld contributed to this report.