SEATTLE: Five people were injured in a late Friday (US local time) shooting in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighbourhood that saw “dozens and dozens” of bullets fired, said Police Chief Adrian Diaz, The Seattle Times reported.
Of the five, one is in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center, while two other men and a woman are being treated at the hospital for injuries that are not considered life-threatening, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Diaz said the fifth victim was treated at the shooting scene. The Police are now searching for at least two suspects.
According to Diaz, the people injured were in their 20s and had been attending a community outreach event for distributing food, clothes and toys. The giveaway is held on Fridays.
The police chief said it was not immediately known if the victims were targeted or what unfolded just before the shooting.
The shooting, which occurred just before 9 pm in the 9200 block of Rainier Avenue South, drew a massive police response and brought Mayor Bruce Harrell and Diaz to the scene, according to CNN.
Diaz said, “Honestly, this is really disturbing when you have victims that were really just trying to do an outreach effort, trying to help people…get people on the right path- And this is what they end up getting hit with.”
Diaz lamented the violence, noting that the police recently recovered the largest amount of guns they have in 15 years. The shooting occurred in front of a building once home to a King Donut shop, as per CNN. (ANI)