AP: f20dcb16-f453-4033-98d4-516555ce35d5
Police investigate the scene where Ian Stawicki, who was believed to have shot and killed several people earlier in the day, shot himself Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Police try to piece together Seattle cafe shootings timeline

BY KIRO Radio Staff  on June 4, 2012 @ 9:43 am (Updated: 1:11 pm - 6/4/12 )

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Seattle Police are still having a tough time piecing together the timeline after shooter Ian Stawicki killed four people inside a University District cafe last week.

Detectives still don't know how Stawicki made it from NE 58th Street and Roosevelt Way NE to 8th and Seneca in downtown Seattle where he shot and killed a fifth person, Gloria Leonidas, and stole her car.

Stawicki could have caught a bus, but there is no surveillance video showing him on one. He might have used his mother's truck or gotten a ride. A listener told 97.3 KIRO FM's Dori Monson Show she believes Stawicki tried to wave her down while she was driving near NE 45th St. the day of the shootings.

Some in West Seattle who had a brush with the killer are coming forward to tell their story, like Marcia Bruno, the manager at the West Seattle Nursery. Stawicki bought a blueberry plant and some seeds at the nursery while on the run after the carjacking murder. He dropped them at a friend's house with a note.

"I've lost sleep the last two nights thinking about what could have happened," Bruno told 97.3 KIRO FM's Dori Monson Show.

It had been a busy day at the nursery, the sun was shining and there were plenty of customers. Still, the feeling was eerie, according to Bruno. One of her employees had come in for work and told everyone about the shootings and what she heard on the radio.

They didn't hear a description of what Stawicki looked like, and didn't go to the computer to check at the time, but when he came in the nursery and bought a blueberry plant, an employee described her interaction with him as creepy.

"And she's usually very chatty at the register," Bruno said. Instead of the usual chit-chat, she rung him up and Stawicki went on his way.

The woman who received the plant on her doorstep called later to see if the nursery could identify who sent the plant. She wanted to know who dropped it off, with what she described as a "creepy" note.

Homicide detectives also called the nursery to ask about the plant.

Bruno put the pieces together, and returned the call. The blueberry recipient had also figured out where the plant had come from and had already called police.

She didn't tell Bruno what exactly was in the note because she wanted to talk to police first.

Police recovered Leonidas' Mercedes SUV in the 4100 block of Delridge Way a short time after the shooting downtown. A few hours later, police reported the shooting suspect, Ian Stawicki, had shot himself at 37th and Raymond.

"I'm just grateful that my gals that waited on him were nice to him and didn't really give him a reason to snap," Bruno said.


View Seattle shootings - May 30 in a larger map

KIRO Radio Staff, Staff report
Straight from the newsdesk.
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Comments (3)


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  • shark75 wrote...
    I can understand why they are perplexed at how he got downtown in 20 minutes
    June 4, 2012 11:13 am
    Everyone knows I-5 south is perpetually eff’ed during the daytime. Mayor McStupid is surely demanding answers as to how someone got downtown in less than 45 minutes without the use of a bicycle…
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Stawicki could have caught a bus, but there is no surveillance video showing him on one . . . .
    June 4, 2012 7:11 pm
    interesting how much did this cost the taxpayer? Bus surveillance video.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    It will turn out that these kind of cases are related to SPICE and other Pot alterinitives.
    June 4, 2012 8:38 pm
    Smoking weed saves live and raised revenue dollars from people who would otherwise never pay taxes. Legalization saves lives.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }