Woman accused of shooting Seattle Parks and Rec coworker had violent past
Mar 11, 2013, 7:01 AM | Updated: 3:53 pm
According to her nephew, her home was hit by a burglar who ransacked the place and killed her dog, Roullette. He says his aunt has been paranoid since then and felt unsafe in her home. Her entire demeanor had changed and they think she may have been living in her car. (Image courtesy Seattle Police)
(Image courtesy Seattle Police)
The woman accused of shooting a coworker at the Seattle Parks Department Friday had a long history of violence in her life.
Police say Carolyn Piksa fired a shot at her coworker, 65-year-old Bill Keller, around 2 p.m. at a Seattle Parks and Recreation building near 80th and Densmore.
The shooting at the Parks and Recreation building in North Seattle prompted the city to shut down all community centers and put nearby schools on high alert.
After that shooting, Carolyn Piksa allegedly went to another parks building, the Bitter Lake Community Center in North Seattle, confronted a woman with a gun, took her purse and fled.
Police arrested Piksa around 4 p.m. when a SWAT team surrounded her Burien home and she surrendered without incident.
On Saturday, Keller’s condition improved from critical to serious, according to the nursing supervisor at Harborview Medical Center.
Investigators still aren’t saying what the relationship might be between Piksa and the two victims. But after a bail hearing on Saturday, her family is revealing more about Piksa’s past.
Her sister and brother-in-law were found murdered in 1985 in Pierce County. According to a newspaper report from the time, both were shot several times. Her brother’s body found at his home. His wife was found two miles away in a deserted cemetery with her 2-year-old son, Cody, clutching to her body. The little boy was in shock and suffering from hypothermia. After a night in the hospital he was able to go home with family members.
That little boy stood up in court for his aunt on Saturday, “I just want to say our prayers go out to Mr. Keller and his family. And I would like to say my aunt is a wonderful, loving person – and a devoted Parks and Rec employee for the past 25 years.”
But Cody says his aunt has had even more trouble in the last few years. Piksa lost her father. Her home was hit by a burglar who ransacked the place and killed her dog, Roulette. Cody says his aunt has been paranoid since then and felt unsafe in her home. Her entire demeanor had changed and they think she may have been living in her car.
King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West said Monday Piksa had filed a residential burglary report with the Burien Police Department July 10, 2012 and reported having firearms stolen.
Piksa reported that someone had kicked in her back door, entered her house and stole two handguns, a rifle and other firearm related accessories, West said. But there was no mentioned of a dog being killed during the incident.
Police have not recovered the weapons or made an arrest in the case.
Most recently, Piksa was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in Marion County, Oregon. It’s not clear what led up to that arrest but a warrant was issued in December because she failed to appear in court.
Piksa waived her right to a court appearance Saturday. The judge found probable cause of first-degree assault and set the bail at $1 million, according to King County prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe.
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North Seattle shooting suspect in custody
