Seattle Drive-By Shooting Toll Mounts: Latest Victim Was Walking His Dog

A drive-by shooting has claimed the life of another young, black man in Seattle’s Central Area.

Police said the 24-year-old man was walking his dog when he was hit with multiple gunshots around 7:30 p.m. Thursday near the corner of 26th Avenue East and East Columbia Street.

Seattle police officer Lauren Lovenhill said the shooter is still at large.

“Homicide and CSI both responded last night just because of his life-threatening injuries,” Lovenhill said. “And they were canvassing the area for possible surveillance footage from nearby buildings and talking to witnesses.”

The man died shortly after he was brought to Harborview Medical Center. His name has not been released.

Lovenhill says she heard the victim lived in the Central Area but she could not confirm that.

This is the latest in several recent shootings in Seattle’s south end. And shooting incidents citywide are up 33 percent from last year.

Seattle police say they’ve increased patrols around shooting hot spots and are looking into possible connections to gang activity.

Police said they made an arrest Wednesday in the gang-related shooting of Zakariya Issa, 20. He was killed two weeks ago in a drive-by shooting in the New Hollywood neighborhood, reportedly as he walked home from a prayer service for another young Somali man killed just a day before.