Garfield High School enters lockdown after gunfire erupts behind campus
Oct 4, 2023, 1:04 PM | Updated: 4:58 pm
Garfield High School is located in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A massive police response was seen at Garfield High School in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood Wednesday after an altercation behind the school led to shots fired.
Police were called to a reported fight disturbance near the school’s football field around 12:15 p.m. According to the Capitol Hill Blog, police found shell casings near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Alder Street. A house in the area also reported a bullet shot through a window.
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“Garfield High School is currently in a shelter-in-place,” a message sent to student’s families read, the blog reports. “(The Seattle Police Department) is on site. Students cannot be dismissed until the shelter is lifted. Additional details will be provided shortly.”
The school and other facilities in the area were put into lockdown. Due to the timing of the incident, many students were leaving campus for lunch.
“Several of our schools went into a safety procedure – lockdown or shelter in place — because of a community altercation that began on the Garfield campus with a conflict between two students,” Pauline Nash, the communications manager for Seattle Public Schools, told KIRO Newsradio. “The incident affected Garfield High School, Nova, Washington Middle School and Meany Middle School. This incident was between two families and not a direct threat to our school. All students and staff are safe. We are following our standard Wednesday dismissal time.”
The incident has been reported as an assault. Police are currently searching for multiple vehicles reported to have been involved in the incident. There was some property damage nearby caused by gunfire, according to Seattle Police (SPD).
“Crews treated a 17-year-old male for minor injuries,” David Cuerpo, the communications specialist with Seattle Fire, told KIRO Newsradio. “He did not require transportation to a hospital.”
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Wednesday’s gun violence follows a fatal shooting last week at 25th and Union, according to the Capitol Hill Blog.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
