‘A heartbreaking loss’: SPD chief calls arrest ‘step toward accountability’ in Rainier Beach double homicide

A juvenile was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with the double homicide in Rainier Beach on Jan. 30 that killed two Rainier Beach High School students.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) made an arrest more than a month after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Tyjon Stewart and 17-year-old Traveiah Houfmuse, SPD announced.

SPD Chief Shon Barnes held a press conference at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday inside the SPD Headquarters to provide additional information about the investigation.

“Our city suffered a heartbreaking loss. Their families, some of whom have joined us today, their schools, and the entire community are grieving,” Barnes said. “While this arrest cannot bring back the lives that were taken, it represents an important step toward accountability and toward providing these families and our community some measure of closure.”

“Gun violence involving young people is one of the most painful challenges any community can face, and for those of you who know my story, I shared it with the family; that’s why I entered policing after being a public school teacher for four years,” Barnes continued. “Each of these losses is profound. Each represents a future that can never be fully realized, and each should force us to confront the urgent need to protect our youth from the cycles of violence that continue to claim them.”

Because state law limits juvenile information, KIRO Newsradio doesn’t know his age. However, it is known that he is not a Rainier Beach student, and he was arrested outside of Seattle.

A first appearance hearing is expected for the suspect on Wednesday. A judge will then determine probable cause to hold the suspect in juvenile detention pending a prosecutor’s filing decision.

Rainier Beach students shot at bus stop in what SPD called a ‘targeted attack’

On Jan. 30 at approximately 4 p.m., SPD officers responded to reports of a shooting near Rainier Avenue S. and S. Henderson Street. At the scene, officers found two males with apparent fatal gunshot wounds.

SPD later confirmed the victims were both shot by a gunman exiting a King County Metro bus and killed in what was called a “targeted attack,” according to SPD.

SPD officers administered emergency medical treatment to both victims until the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) arrived and took over care. Despite life-saving efforts, SFD pronounced both victims dead at the scene.

After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene on foot before officers could arrive. Officers and deputies searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect.

Officers cordoned off the immediate shooting area until homicide detectives and the Crime Scene Investigation Unit could arrive to process the scene.

SPD officers previously sought the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect and spoke to passengers who were on Route 106 with the gunman.

“Our community has become too familiar, I think, with mourning young lives,” Barnes said following the shooting. “Their losses underscore the truth that we cannot ignore. Preventing gun violence requires all of us, everyone in this room, to work together.”

More than 100 rally for youth safety after Rainier Beach shooting

An impromptu rally was held on Feb. 2 at the corner of Rainier Avenue S. and S. Henderson Street, just a block away from Rainier Beach High School. Several community groups and more than 100 residents packed every corner of the intersection to show solidarity and support for kids who shouldn’t have to deal with this type of violence.

“I am very happy that people are showing up for them, but I want this to stay. I want this to stick. This is something we’re going to need for our children until we get to the root of the issue,” parent Brione Scott said.

Some of those gathered were family members, some were family friends, but they shared a love for the Rainier Beach community and called for unity and a safer neighborhood.

“I’m out here in support, because enough is enough,” parent Marcella Lyon said. “We’re here now, and we’re not going anywhere until change has come — where the guns are put away. This violence has got to stop.”

Fathers and Sons Together (FAST) is a community support nonprofit that focuses on strengthening father-son relationships and supporting families. They are calling for calm and for community members to engage to bring about change.

“These deaths are devastating to the families, their school, and the entire Rainier Beach community. No family should have to bury a child,” FAST co-founder Cathie Wilmore said.

Wilmore also said it will require a team effort to keep the schools and the neighborhood safe.

“It’s critically important that our city agencies, law enforcement, Seattle Public Schools, and community-based organizations come together with urgency to change this narrative,” she said.

Four schools in the Rainier Beach area had a delayed start to give school administrators a chance to organize counseling and support for students.

Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio

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