SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: Spate of shootings proves gun taxes are toothless

May 8, 2017, 5:29 AM

gun taxes, guns, SPD, gun tax...

Bias crimes investigators are searching for a man who pulled a gun on two people Wednesday evening on Rainier Avenue. It turns out it was a BB gun. (Seattle Police Department)

(Seattle Police Department)

Yet another shooting here in Seattle.

On May 4, Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole issued a statement about five shooting incidents over a 24-hour period that left one person dead and four others injured. Those shootings included a sorority girl going back to her house just north of the UW campus, a 16-year-old girl killed in a car at Borracchini’s bakery and an elderly couple delivering newspapers who got caught in the crossfire as completely innocent bystanders.

Since O’Toole’s statement, a man pulled a gun on two people on Rainier Avenue, a 27-year-old was shot outside a nightclub in Belltown, the gang unit is looking into a man who was shot in the leg in First Hill and a 46-year-old was hit in the arm and leg. Another man was shot in the head and killed early Sunday in White Center.

The violence around Seattle is pretty incredible.

In fact, we’re on a record pace this year in terms of gunshot wounds and murders. This is ironic. Wasn’t it just a couple years ago when Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council started putting up their Gun Free Zone signs in local businesses and imposing the firearms and ammunition tax that they said would help reduce gun violence?

Apparently, the criminals can get beyond the city lines and buy guns. All they’ve done is made it tougher for law-abiding people who want to defend themselves against this growing problem.

We are seeing a mayor who is consumed with accusing the Faith & Freedom Network of conspiracies and the City council pushing a city income tax to “Trump proof” Seattle.

Hey, Ed Murray, how about you start focusing on the gangs in Seattle – at least as much as you do on the Trump administration, which you as a city politician have nothing to do with. You have everything to do with protecting your citizens in this city, and the gang problem. Time to start acknowledging that as you allow more and more drugs into the city.

I grew up in Seattle. When I see the hypodermic needles everywhere and the homeless tarps and tents; the gang problems and record number of shootings, I don’t think Mayor Murray is doing a great job. Even with the child rape charges out of the equation, he is a disaster.

In my opinion, Murray has created the most dangerous Seattle that we’ve ever had, and he keeps telling us that he can continue to work on all the great things he’s been doing.

With this spate of shootings, it’s quite obvious the desperate straits our city is in right now.

File - President Joe Biden speaks at the International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C.,...

Associated Press

Appeals court rejects Biden’s bid to block release of recordings of ghostwriter interviews

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has rejected a request by Joe Biden to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of his interviews with a memoir ghostwriter before he was elected president. A divided three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit suspended its decision until […]

24 minutes ago

Verne the Patriot, a nutcracker sculpture, is unveiled in Luverne, Minn., Saturday, July 18, 2026. ...

Associated Press

A Minnesota town now boasts the world’s tallest nutcracker

LUVERNE, Minn. (AP) — Crossing the open farmland of southwestern Minnesota, you’ll encounter an otherworldly sight: a massive head with a beard, mustache and red-striped top hat looming over the horizon. Pull into the small town of Luverne and the figure — a nearly 66-foot (20-meter) tall nutcracker, decked out like Uncle Sam — comes […]

30 minutes ago

SR 202...

Chris Sullivan

SR 202 near Fall City to close this weekend for emergency river embankment repairs

Work is moving to SR 202 near Fall City this week, creating a 16-mile detour for people trying to get around the area.

36 minutes ago

Associated Press

Jordan targeted by Iranian drones

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Jordan’s military said Tuesday it had intercepted five drones launched by Iran targeting the kingdom. The military made the announcement through the state-run Petra news agency. It said the interception did not cause casualties or any damage on the ground. Jordan hosts U.S. forces and aircraft in the country, […]

5 hours ago

Lebanese army soldiers stand at a checkpoint in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16,...

Associated Press

Lebanon’s president will meet with Trump in Washington to push for Israeli troop withdrawal

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s president will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Joseph Aoun’s landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon […]

8 hours ago

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), SK Hynix...

Associated Press

Asian shares mostly gain and South Korea and Japan recover some losses from AI stock sell-offs

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares mostly gained on Tuesday, with markets in South Korea and Japan trading higher after recent declines due to heavy selling of stocks linked to artificial intelligence. U.S. futures edged higher, while oil prices slipped. South Korea’s Kospi, which is heavily reliant on AI and chipmaking-related shares, jumped 4.7% to […]

8 hours ago

Dori: Spate of shootings proves gun taxes are toothless