String of shootings on Seattle’s Capitol Hill prompts community action

Community leaders in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood are meeting with Seattle police to talk about a string of shootings at bars’ closing time.

The meeting Tuesday night comes after four shootings in the area in the last four weeks.

According to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, three of the four shootings over the last month have been on Saturday nights around Broadway and Pike.

The latest shooting, which is being investigated by the Seattle police gang unit, left a woman in her 20s in critical condition after she was shot in the chest.

It happened at Broadway and Madison just before 2 a.m. The shooting also left a bullet hole in a nearby car.

Now, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce will meet with Seattle police to discuss not only recent shootings, but a troubling trend of reports of spiked drinks at bars and clubs.

“First-hand experienced it, yes. Unfortunately. You’re going out, you’re doing the bar scene, you have to know what to look out for and what to do,” said Taunia, a woman who said her drink has been spiked.

According to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, Seattle police have been using emphasis patrols in the Pike/Pine area all summer. More officers are deployed there to help with the big nightlife crowds.

Police say a lot of spiked drink cases go unreported and if it has happened to you, you should report it to Seattle police.