KIRO NEWSRADIO OPINION

‘You don’t think they’re going to get another gun?’ Curley blasts Seattle city attorney’s plan to combat violence on Aurora

Jun 16, 2026, 12:54 PM | Updated: 3:53 pm

North Seattle residents have been begging the city to put a stop to the violence on Aurora Avenue. Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans said recently that the city is focused on Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) to remove guns from the hands of people committing crimes.

“Getting guns out of the hands of folks that are committing violence in our neighborhood is an effective way to stop the gun violence,” Evans said at a news conference earlier this month.

KIRO host John Curley shared his own solution to curbing violence along Aurora on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

“I have an idea. After you get the gun out of their hand, get their other hand and put both of them behind their back, and then put the handcuffs on them, and then take the hands that are connected to the shoulders, connected to the chest, and the rest of the body, and then put the body in jail,” he said. “But no, we’re going to get the guns out of the hands of the people who are creating the violence. Well, that’ll solve it, because God knows they won’t know how to get another gun anywhere.”

Curley says removing guns won’t solve underlying issues on Aurora

Curley used the example of drugs to argue that simply removing a weapon doesn’t address the underlying problem.

“In this case, they’re saying, ‘Oh, we’re gonna take the gun away’ — you don’t think they’re gonna get another gun?” he said. “I have an idea. Why don’t you pass a law that you’re not allowed to sell drugs? Why don’t you pass a law that you’re not allowed to shoot somebody with a gun? Why don’t you pass a law that you’re not allowed to sell sex for money? Why don’t you pass laws?”

Curley also took issue with Evans touting the years of combined prosecutorial experience in her office.

“That is what our office is being led by two experienced prosecutors, myself and Jenna Robert, who’s also here, the criminal division chief,” Evans said at the news conference. “We have a combined over 20 years of experience as prosecutors.”

“A load of crap,” Curley said. “Oh, my dry cleaner has been in business that long.”

KIRO producer Joe Wallace pointed out that the combined education of a kindergarten class is about 30 years, but that doesn’t make them very smart. He added that Evans has been vocal about the fact that Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) zones don’t work, but noted the city hasn’t been enforcing them to begin with.

“I don’t know how you can make that proclamation,” Wallace said. “She specifically said when she was elected, they wouldn’t enforce it.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

John Curley on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to tom and curleyTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for The John Curley Show.

John Curley

KIRO Newsradio Opinion

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‘You don’t think they’re going to get another gun?’ Curley blasts Seattle city attorney’s plan to combat violence on Aurora