Lake City encampment cleared after 2 shot in park, suspects on the run

A homeless encampment in a Lake City park — near where two men were shot and killed Monday — was cleared Wednesday morning.

The encampment, in Virgil Flaim Park, had been there for about two months. Neighbors told KIRO Newsradio they complained to the city repeatedly, and the camp was cleared two months ago, only to return beginning the next day.

Park-goers said the park is instantly a more pleasant place.

“It’s just nice, especially after what happened the other night, that the park feels safe to come to with the kids again. There’s just been drug use and violence out in the open,” an anonymous neighbor said.

Neighbor James Brady questioned where the inhabitants of the encampment would end up.

“For the most part, I’m glad that it’s gone, but at the same time, I kind of worry about where they all had to go and if they’re going to be OK. Because we’re all human. We’re all out here doing this together, you know what I mean,” Brady shared.

Neighbors said drug use and crime spilled from the encampment into the quiet neighborhood. They hope the city is diligent to make sure the encampment doesn’t return.

Seattle police look for suspect in Lake City shooting

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is still looking for the suspect in the shooting.

The shooting reportedly happened at 6 p.m. Monday at Virgil Flaim Park in Lake City, a neighborhood in the northeast section of Seattle, behind the Dick’s Drive-In on N.E. 123rd Street. Two men were shot outside of an encampment at the park, and both suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.

“There were like two sets of pops. It sounded like they emptied a clip, and they reloaded and emptied another one,” neighbor Carlo Torio told KIRO Newsradio.

One man died at the scene of the shooting, while the second victim died after he was transported to Harborview Medical Center. He died approximately one hour after arriving at the hospital, according to SPD.

“Families had to scatter and run away from it. I came right after the shots were fired and saw the two gentlemen lying on the ground. I was just like, man, this is what we’ve come to,” neighbor Reggie Roper told KIRO Newsradio.

The department is investigating what led up to the shooting, or if the victims and the suspect knew each other. It is currently unclear if the victims were living in the encampment or if they were merely visiting the park.

One man died at the park, and the other died about an hour after arriving at Harborview Medical Center.

Multiple patrol officers, a police K9 unit, and King County Sheriff’s Guardian One helicopter were all used to search for the suspect. SPD has not provided a description of the suspect, as of this reporting.

This story was originally published on August 12, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

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