Everyone has a story. What's yours?
 Linda Thomas
twitter: @TheNewsChick
About Linda
Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

If you have a news tip or story idea, I'd love to hear from you...

To leave a voice message for Linda about any of her stories call toll free 1-855-251-2363

Follow Me on Pinterest


CafeRacer.jpg
Frani Assaf holds a picture of her friend Drew Keriakedes who was killed in the May 30, 2012 massacre at Cafe Racer in Seattle. (Linda Thomas photo)

Cafe Racer friends cope five months after the 'worst day'

October 28, 2012 @ 2:22 pm (Updated: 7:10 am - 10/29/12 )

"Every few days you're hearing about gun violence, not just in Washington state but everywhere and it's really nauseating. It's sickening," says Frani Assaf, who lost friends in the Cafe Racer shooting almost five months ago.

Assaf is among those who planted dozens of daffodil bulbs near Seattle's Green Lake to remember victims of crimes involving guns. As she dug holes, she thought about "the worst day" of her life, May 30th.

That morning Ian Stawicki killed four people execution style at a North Seattle coffee house and bar. He then fled to downtown where he carjacked a woman for her SUV, and shot her in the head. Stawicki drove to West Seattle and killed himself.

Drew Keriakedes, one of the Cafe Racer victims, was Assaf's friend.

"He believed in living life large, as he would say, and loving each other," says Assaf. "It sounds really naive, but that's what we're trying to do now in his honor."

Keriakedes had invited the gunman over to his house for a movie night a few days before the shooting because he didn't want anyone to feel "left out" of society.

In the months following the shooting, Assaf says she's had some sympathy for Stawicki.

"He definitely had mental health issues and he wasn't getting support. We are such a throwaway society. We just throw people away," she says. "The more I learned about him the sadder I felt for him, but I try not to put too much thought and energy towards him."

Assaf and others want to put their energy toward stronger gun laws in Washington.

Even the gunman's father, Walter Stawicki, says his son was "angry all the time" and shouldn't have been allowed to get his hands on a weapon.

The King County Prosecutor plans to announce a proposal related to gun regulations in late November, according to a source, though details aren't available.

The candidates for Attorney General have different personal experiences with guns, but both Reagan Dunn and Bob Ferguson are advocates of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Dunn has a concealed-weapon permit, says he owns around 30 firearms. Ferguson says he's never owned a gun or fired a weapon.

Both candidates for governor, Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna say they support background checks for purchasing guns from private dealers at gun shows. Such checks are required when buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer.

Inslee says he's open to the idea of allowing communities to pass more restrictive laws.

They also both believe the state needs more effective tools to deal with the mentally ill. Rob McKenna points out that his Attorney General's office helped push through legislation that makes it harder for someone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental institution to buy a firearm.

That law wouldn't have done much to change the Cafe Racer massacre because Stawicki wasn't in an institution.

"No one ever thinks they're going to lose someone to violence. I didn't, but I've lost a friend and neighbor who was kind to everyone," Assaf says. "It can happen to anyone."

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (8)


  • Add A Comment

  • roomtemp wrote...
    Making laws based on a failed premise is illogical...
    October 29, 2012 1:12 am
    Criminals and crazies don't care about laws, therefore laws will have no effect on their behavior...

    "it's really nauseating. It's sickening"

    What nauseates me are people that think you can legislate morality. Perhaps she should move into a prison herself instead of trying to turn our country into one. There's very little gun violence there.

    Back in the real world, it's too bad nobody that encountered Stawicki was armed.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tbookout17 wrote...
    well said roomtemp
    October 29, 2012 6:39 am
    You are absolutely right. People think changing gun laws will reduce crime, blah blah. Crack and meth have been illegal forever yet we still have ridiculous meth and crack problems in every city in america. Criminals by definition already don't follow the rules so why would more/stronger rules make a diff?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bucket Dad wrote...
    +1
    October 29, 2012 11:09 am
    Well said, folks. Gun laws are only part of the solution. The law needs to consider the other part of the disease. I recall the family not being able to get the shooter committed. What about violent convicts getting released early, because their "right" are getting violated due to crowding? If the law and society are not willing to keep the trigger FINGERS out of general polite society, trying to control the number of triggers is well, like a finger in dike. Eventually, you are going to lose.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    I think
    October 29, 2012 12:55 pm
    The hardest thing to do is admit that there is nothing you can do to prevent crazy people from doing crazy things.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Stevebo wrote...
    I agree with you DesertRez
    October 29, 2012 3:06 pm
    I think a lot of people want to try and somehow "stop" something like this from happening again - and they think that somehow creating a law will do it.

    The sad reality is that there are sometimes NO laws that prevent occasional heinous crimes like this - tragedies like this WILL occur again... regardless of what laws are drafted, or not drafted.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Stevebo wrote...
    I'm all for appropriate legislation to regulate firearms...
    October 29, 2012 3:04 pm
    Key word: appropriate.

    I'm not for "knee-jerk" legislation though - which is often what tends to be brought up when it comes to tragic events like this.

    Granted, there does not appear to be specific legislation proposed as of yet - I just think it's very prudent to be cautious about how it is approached.

    Cafe racer was a horrible tragedy.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • waltinseattle wrote...
    my son, laws and revisiting...
    November 2, 2012 2:36 pm
    he was not always "mad all the time." but we were very concerned when he became so. we were mostly concerned FOR him and never thought he would become the perp of such tragedy. perhaps that is part of being too close. his best friend gave up trying to get him to quit carrying. his mother had, she thought, succeeded. obviously not. There is some glimmer or a mechanism called incipient intervention. All know the futility around emanent danger intervention. that glimmer resides in tracking and documentation through a "county mental health professional." and i challenge you to readily find the link for citizens and families to use it. changing this is my top priority, not more laws...just a simple procedure like the NY State "Becca" law, which last i knew did not take family testimony because there might be grudges, might be ulterior motives, from those closest and who would know most intimently the issues. sad story that! until that day my son followed the law, was a protector of his friends, and had a past where he had prevented violent encounters while working club doors. And then that changed so suddenly! We will and SHOULD REVISIT this issue. We should not relegate it to "old news." Because it is not going to go away. As i often said that first week in aftermath , when asked "do you think this will happen again?"...it WILL HAPPEN AGAIN and again. it is not if but when and how often! Let us not relegate PTSD VETS to single stories and "move on" to new news. Let's stay the course and CHANGE THE SYSTEM! the alternative? more tragedy forever and ever. sad course to take!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }