Gee and Ursula: What can be done to make us feel safer?

Several Southcenter Mall shoppers ducked for cover when a shooting broke out on Friday in the parking lot near Nordstrom.

According to the Tukwila Police Department, no one was injured, but on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, the violence begged the question — what can be done to make residents feel safer?

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Ursula Reutin noted the shooting happened in broad daylight on a Friday with a full parking lot.

KOMO News said numbers show violent crime is near a record-high at the mall and surrounding areas.

Gee Scott believes the rise in crime is partly to do with guns being readily available.

“I think what we can’t say enough of is, we are in a very bad situation,” he said. “There’s easier access to guns. There’s the modifying of these guns that are happening on a regular basis and then there’s a bunch of young men and women, but basically, a lot of young men, who are going from zero to 100. Nobody’s knuckling up anymore. Nobody’s fighting anymore. They’re going right to shooting. And they don’t care what time it is broad daylight. They don’t care about cameras.”

Gee also felt that the punishment criminals receive is not enough.

Ursula said while Gee was bringing up the end result, she wanted to know what could be done to make people feel safer at the mall.

“I’m gonna tell you to wear a bullet proof vest? I’m gonna tell you to have a gun yourself? And that’s gonna help you? This whole ‘Oh, arm yourselves’ OK?” Gee responded.

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Ursula agreed that a lack of conflict resolution skills and consequences are major contributing factors but she wanted to know how to prevent crime in the first place.

“I love going to the malls, but I don’t want to have to worry about my security,” Ursula  said. “And there are times when I think, ‘OK, is Paul Blart, the mall cop?’ Is that enough? Is there anything that you could do to make people feel safer?”

Scott continued to drive home the point that he thinks punishments for crimes are too light.  However, Ursula said a lot of people want to blame the prosecutors when the punishment is dictated by the sentencing guidelines.

“Do you think we are at the point — with a Democratic controlled state house, state senate and governor’s office — do you think we would be in the mood to stiffen the penalties when it comes to changing the laws and sentencing guidelines?” she asked.

Gee said he doesn’t think the guidelines will change in Washington because “there are a lot of people who believe in all the second chances. And a lot of people, ‘Well that happened when that person was 15, 16 years old, and their brain isn’t developed enough to do all those things.'”

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Ursula said those reasons are exactly why she is still undecided in the Washington governor’s race.

“I think that there is something to be said about a more balanced government,” she said.

As of Monday at 4:00 p.m., Tukwila Police have not reported any arrests in connection with the Southcenter Mall shooting.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m.- noon on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.