7 wounded, 1 dead in downtown Seattle shooting outside McDonald's

Seven people were injured, and another killed, after at least two men reportedly shot at each other amid the evening rush hour in downtown Seattle Wednesday.

It was the third shooting in downtown Seattle in two days.

Police Chief Carmen Best said there were multiple shooters, although she could not say specifically how many.

Just after 5 p.m., Seattle police reported a male suspect had fled the scene and police were searching the area around 3rd Avenue and Pine Street. They urged the public to avoid the area.

Best said it appeared that a disagreement arose outside the McDonald's there, and that at least two people pulled out guns and shot them. People at the scene scattered and some were shot. Best could not say if the shooters fled, or if they were among the wounded.

By 7 p.m., the suspects were still at large, according to police. Chief Best said she did not believe the public should be worried.

Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said the fire department transported five victims to the hospital, and that one person died at the scene. Scoggins said it appeared that two more victims made their way to the hospital without ambulance transport.

Harborview Medical Center officials reported treating seven victims Wednesday night:

• A 55-year-old woman in critical condition who immediately underwent surgery.
• A 9-year-old boy in serious condition.
• Four men in satisfactory condition.
• A 49-year-old man.

Injuries were to legs, stomach, and buttocks.

By Thursday morning the 9-year-old boy and a 32-year-old man were still at the hospital in satisfactory condition. The 55-year-old woman also remained at Harborview and was in serious condition. The others were discharged.

Amazon said that an employee was among the injured. The employee was outside the building at the time of the shooting and then moved inside to get medical care. The individual was then transported to Harborview.

City response

Seattle police detectives are asking for public help in the case. They are seeking any video or photo evidence from the scene. Witnesses can submit photos and videos via this website.

Citywide text messages warned people to avoid the area Wednesday and urged people to call the tip line with any information: 206-233-5000.

Wednesday evening's shooting was the third such incident in two days and in the same area of downtown. Earlier Wednesday, there was an officer-involved shooting in Belltown. On Tuesday, a man was shot at 4th and Pine.

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said there was no information suggesting that the recent shootings are connected. But she added that this information is still preliminary and the investigations ongoing.

Chief Best noted that the police have emphasis patrols in that area. This corner of downtown is a confluence of affluence and extreme poverty; the McDonald's a stone's throw from the Nordstrom.

The Seattle Department of Transportation blocked all lanes of Pine Street between 3rd and 5th Avenues Wednesday.

Buses had already been rerouted off 3rd Avenue between Blanchard and Lenora streets, following a separate shooting earlier in the day in Belltown. Gridlock resulted from the back-to-back incidents.

Light rail passengers were forced off their trains at the Capitol Hill station, one stop before the Westlake station, with street entrances in the middle of the shooting area. Sound Transit resumed service later in the evening, but the agency said to expect more delays.