SPD Chief Diaz: ‘More work to do’ on downtown safety after shooting that killed pregnant woman
Jun 16, 2023, 6:39 AM
Seattle Police Chief, Adrian Diaz, appeared before a civilian police oversight body Wednesday to answer questions about a fake tombstone of a man killed by officers that was put on display in the East Precinct. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz posted a video update on Thursday in response to a deadly shooting that ended with the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child earlier this week.
The shooting happened on Fourth Avenue and Lenora around 11 a.m. Tuesday. Court documents show the victims are Sung and Eina Kwon. A small memorial now sits at the light where the two were shot, and where first responders tried to save Eina and her baby.
Police arrested a suspect who is due in court Thursday afternoon. In his Thursday update, Diaz acknowledged the difficult and tragic circumstances for Eina’s family.
“We have a suspect in custody, however, no amount of justice will bring that family whole again,” he said.
Speaking to larger safety concerns in the downtown core, Diaz noted that SPD know “this has great impacts to the community, not only the greater community but the Korean community.”
“And I have been in conversations with members throughout the community to make this community safe,” he added. “… We are also running our violent crime strategy as we enter into the summer months, and working with community and putting our officers in the right places where we believe these shootings might be occurring,”
Addressing the suspect’s gun — which was reported stolen out of Lakewood in April of 2021 — Diaz said that it’s going to be tested to determine whether it was used in any other crimes.
SPD has recovered 629 guns so far in 2023, which Diaz says is the most the department has ever recovered in the first five months of the year.
“But there’s more work to do,” he said in closing. “We’re asking to work with you to make sure that we make this community safe.”
This tragedy has raised many questions about safety in downtown Seattle. We have repeatedly asked the Seattle Police Department to address some of the questions and concerns of the community in an on-camera interview, and instead, they sent out the short video posted Thursday.
