‘Like a war zone:’ Vandals continue to blow up porta-potties at Bothell park
Jul 10, 2026, 12:37 PM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Some ticked-off neighbors in Bothell would like to know who is blowing up the porta-potties at Forsgren Park.
Two explosions rocked the neighborhood over the past week.
“As soon as you hear the ‘boom,’ you know the porta-potty’s gone,” said Dave Holm, who lives across the street from the park.
A neighbor’s door cam caught the blast as the porta-potty was blown to bits around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
Video captures a group driving off seconds later.
“Nothing was on fire. I came out with my flashlight. There was what looked like teenage kids … hopped in the car that was parked right at the gate and just sped off,” Holm said.
Holm said the porta-potty was installed just hours earlier to replace another one that was blown up on the night of July 4.
“It sounded like we were in a war zone, like a bomb was dropped or something,” said Mandie Drummond, who also lives across the street. “If it has some offshoot and goes to our house or our neighbor’s house – I have a little girl, so it’s hard to like not worry about that kind of thing.”
Neighbors said it’s been a problem for years, and they haven’t had much luck getting a good look at whoever’s doing it, the car they’re in, or any license plates.
“I spoke to the fire marshal today, and he said, really, there’s nothing we can do unless we have a license plate — so we’ll just keep an eye out and maybe get a better camera,” Drummond said.
Neighbors are doing what they can, including locking the park gates at dusk, but they’d like some help from the parks department.
“Whether it’s lights or a camera or security or something just to give us a little bit of peace of mind so we can sleep a little bit more soundly at night,” Holm said.
Snohomish County Parks told KIRO 7 they will delay replacing the porta potty, but they are looking into increased patrols and options for parking lot lighting.
