Crime

‘We Could See This Coming’: Seattle Shooter Kills 5 Before Turning Gun on Himself

Seattle Shooter Kills 5 Before Turning Gun on Himself

Seattle police went door-to-door searching for the suspect near the crime scene Wednesday. (Image source: Seattle Times)

SEATTLE (The Blaze/AP) — A city already anxious about a recent spate of shootings was rattled further when a man walked into an arts cafe near a Seattle university and opened fire, fatally wounding four people. Police say he later killed a woman during a carjacking before shooting himself.

As officers closed in during a widespread manhunt late Wednesday afternoon, the suspect put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He died at a local hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The five victims brought the number of homicides in Seattle so far this year to 21, matching the total for all of last year, and left city leaders wondering what could be done to stop the bloodshed.

“Two tragic shootings today … have shaken this city,” Mayor Mike McGinn said at a news conference. “It follows on the heels of multiple, tragic episodes of gun violence that have occurred throughout the city.”

In the last month, there had already been two random killings. A man died last week when he was hit by a stray bullet as he drove, and a woman was killed in a drive by shooting in late April. No arrests have been made,

Police did not publicly name the suspect in Wednesday’s shootings, but the Seattle Times identified him as Ian Lee Stawicki, 40, of Seattle, citing unidentified law enforcement sources.

Seattle Shooter Kills 5 Before Turning Gun on Himself

Police stand outside Cafe Racer Espresso, the green building at right, on Wednesday. (Image source: Seattle Times)

Andrew Stawicki, 29, of Ellensburg, told the Times he recognized a photo shown on TV newscasts of the alleged gunman as his brother Ian. Andrew Stawicki said Ian Stawicki was mentally ill and described him as becoming “really angry toward everything” within the last five years.

“It’s no surprise to me this happened,” he told the newspaper. “We could see this coming. Nothing good is going to come with that much anger inside of you.”

A phone number for Andrew Stawicki rang busy when The Associated Press tried to reach him for comment.

Gunfire erupted about 11 a.m. at Cafe Racer, a restaurant and music venue north of the University of Washington.

Police quickly released two photos from inside the cafe, apparently taken from a security camera. One showed a man walking into the establishment, with a woman nearby reading a book and people chatting at the nearby cafe bar. Another photo about a minute later showed stools overturned, and the man standing and holding what appeared to be a handgun.

Seattle Shooter Kills 5 Before Turning Gun on Himself

Image source: Seattle Police Department

Seattle Shooter Kills 5 Before Turning Gun on Himself

Image source: Seattle Police Department

Two men died at the cafe, and a third man and a woman from the cafe died at a hospital.

Police said it appeared the gunman fled to the First Hill neighborhood near downtown, where he fatally shot a woman in a parking lot and stole her SUV.

He then drove the SUV to West Seattle and ditched it, leaving a gun in the car. After officers found the vehicle, they flooded that area with uniformed and plainclothes officers.

A detective spotted the suspect late in the afternoon and called for backup and a SWAT team, Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said. As those officers arrived, the man shot himself, he said.

Seattle Shooter Kills 5 Before Turning Gun on Himself

Officers and medics work after shooting suspect Ian Stawicki shot himself Wednesday. (Image source: Seattle Times)

A King County medical examiner‘s spokeswoman said her office might be able to release the dead victims’ identifications Thursday.

One man wounded in the cafe shooting was reported in critical but stable condition late Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center following surgery earlier in the day. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg confirmed his name as Leonard Meuse. Meuse’s father, Raymond Meuse, told the Times his son was shot in the jaw and armpit but was expected to survive.

Evan Hill, who lives above the building where the shooting happened, said the cafe was an artists’ collective and performance space.

“It’s the strangest place to think of a shooting,” said Hill, who heard four to five shots. He said he ran to his balcony and called 911, but didn’t see a suspect.

On a street corner across from the cafe, friends of the victims gathered by the ivy-covered wall of an apartment building. Some collapsed in grief. The cafe’s owner hugged them and commiserated.

Units of police officers marched by with rifles and shotguns, knocking on doors and checking driveways and yards in the neighborhood of single-family, bungalow-style homes, restaurants and businesses.

During the manhunt, Roosevelt High School, Eckstein Middle School and Greenlake Elementary were locked down, according to the school district.

In other recent violence to hit Seattle, a bystander was wounded near the Space Needle Saturday when he was struck by a bullet that police say was fired by a gang member involved in a dispute with another man. Later that night, about 60 shots were fired in drive-by shootings at four houses. No one was hit.

Besides a plan to increase the number of officers on patrol in high-crime areas, police are urging people with information about shootings to come forward.

They also said Seattleites could expect an increased police presence in the near future.

City Councilman Bruce Harrell said leaders needed to consider everything – from changing laws to addressing the culture of violence.

“If we are to be honest, there’s no easy fix,” he said.

Comments (41)

  • Beachbaby
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 8:36pm

    This is done with the blessings of holder and obama and the panthers. Should I laugh?

    Report Post »  
  • Blackjacx1
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 6:26am

    You know, if anyone in Seattle carried a gun, he probably wouldn’t have made it to 5 killings… just sayin’.

    Report Post » Blackjacx1  
  • Case_Logic
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 3:34am

    Maybe I had buffering issues with the AP video clip shown above but it sounds and looks like the Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and City Council Bruce Harrell were voiced over. No fear the message was still the same, got to get the GUN CONTROL message out. I don’t know how edited that report was but I do smell liberal media bias all over it or are they just political ambulance chasers, both by the sounds of it. I was waiting for the ‘paid for by/ I approve this message’ sponsor at the end of it.

    Report Post » Case_Logic  
  • Spqr1
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 1:25am

    The Beckian lie of omission here is that the gunman actually had a conceal permit. How does that fit into your two dimensional world view. I hear brains seizing up trying to wrap themselves around that one.

    Report Post »  
    • schlepnier
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 5:30am

      Wrap your brain around this-this isn’t minority report, we dont go after people before they commit a criminal act. there are close to 400,000 WA residents with a CPL myself included(i also carry pretty well every day and have never had to draw my weapon in anger).. by your point of contention we should be having a rawandan genocide right about now. however what the article leaves out is that all but this weekends shooting over the last 5 months have all been related to illegal gang activity. yeah thats right criminals doing illegal things and guess what? being criminals they do not care what the laws says to begin with. one patron apparently put up a fight with a barstool, had he actually been armed this could have been stopped before it started.

      Report Post » schlepnier  
    • KCain
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 12:24pm

      What we have here is a shop of people who are dependant on others to protect and defend them.
      A group of people who insist on trusting their very life to others who carry or the presence of police.

      It is a childish mindset to always look to others to provide.

      Report Post »  
    • Spqr1
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 1:02pm

      Another sad attempt to argue a point I wasn’t making, fueled by complete ignorance of the subject at hand. Again, that’s what happens when you only get your news from the nut job press. The shooter’s father was trying to get his conceal permit revoked, because he knew he was unstable, but got nowhere. So, how many of you are you going to support the mentally unstable having and being able to KEEP conceal permits? I assume none.

      Report Post »  
  • inferno
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 9:47pm

    Hey seattle. Go out and arrest every mentally damaged person who may or may not do what this sick person did, and lock them up, before they can kill. Then sit back and see how long it takes the ACLU and our progressive court system to literally SCREAM for their release, then appear appaled at gun violence when they do kill, and deny any responsibility for their acts.

    Report Post »  
  • Ceefour
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:26pm

    The fam saw it coming but they did nothing..did not notify anyone of the potential danger. I guess thats par for the course. Did you notice that the victims were unable to defend themselves and everyone else was running,cowering,screaming and probably fil;ling their pink panties with stinky brown stuff. Again..par for the course. Did you notice how this event came to an end???? The perp use THE GUN to kill himself. Neat. Hell yes..take the guns away..no one carries them anyway…except the bad guys and the nuts.

    Report Post »  
  • FaithfulFriend
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 3:29pm

    In America you can be attacked and eaten by a crazed madman in broad daylight right beside a road and only a few people will notice and 18 minutes until the police arrive. And your reason for not carrying a gun is what? Evil always decides when, where, and how it will act out. Be prepared to protect yourself and other innocent life. It’s the American way. Otherwise your just trying to run away while people are being murdered.

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/alleged-photos-of-cannibal-victims-eaten-face-emerge-unbelievably-horrifying/

    Report Post » FaithfulFriend  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 4:14pm

      Well the killer is alive and that is all the matters. We must fight to make sure he has a fair trial in about 10 years and is able to walk.

      Report Post »  
    • SnowKalBebes
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 7:34pm

      Another crazy white person killing a bunch of people. We should send them all back where they came from. How do you like my blazer logic?

      Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 12:31pm

    Liberals… poop wherever they want… and when noticing a Bad Smell… they scream: Where did this Crap come from?

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • HorseCrazy
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 11:44am

    yes the mayor wants our guns now. sure mayor mcmuffin look how well thats working for chicago and dc. I hate sharing a county with seattle.

    Report Post »  
    • shirleyandpearl
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:54pm

      Heard the press release of progressive, McGinn on the radio and all he harps on are the guns and his promotion of more stringent gun laws. He puts the second amendment “under fire” over the unfortunate episode itself. Seattle is an epicenter of liberalism, and has set the stage for punishment with a wet noodle and thus the city has gone down hill.

      Report Post » shirleyandpearl  
  • piper60
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 11:36am

    Have everybody get a concealed carry permit. The the potential gunman won‘t know who’s carrying and whose not. It may not cure the problem completely, but it’ll cut it WAY back.

    Report Post » piper60  
  • brandongentile.wordpress.com
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 11:10am

    Really? No easy answers, huh?

    How about: there will always be evil that exists. Arm and protect yourself. Educate yourself and your children on proper gun-handling. Be proficient with your weapon. Then these incidents can be minimized and in some cases stopped altogether.

    Easy fix, councilman.

    Report Post » brandongentile.wordpress.com  
    • bigmamajama71
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 11:31am

      I live near Tacoma, WA (30 miles south of Seattle) and hear all of the gun violence occurring here and just laugh. King, Snohomish and Pierce counties are what makes this state a “blue” state. That’s where the gays and liberal Prius and Subaru drivers reside. We have the largest, legal, monthly gun show west of the Mississippi River and these liberals rule our state. Seattle is in King county and is run by an idiot of a mayor. He tried to ban legal conceal carry of handguns in parks in the city limits and some people carried anyway and made it known! I love the boldness of some of the pro-gun people here. One guy in Monroe, WA was carrying an AR-15 over his shoulder, in town, and the police couldn’t do anything about it. Open carry is legal here. Guns sales are on the steep rise here due to home invasions and homeowners shooting these criminals. Many women are buying guns and taking courses. This state “was” a great state to live until the “California” lawmakers and liberal mentality moved up here and brought their liberal ideas with them. You don‘t hear of gun violence in areas of the country where it’s legal to carry and more widely accepted, do you? What a shame for such a thing to happen to defenseless citizens.

      Report Post »  
    • Spqr1
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 4:00pm

      bigmamajama71: Not smart enough to know that a county is not run by a mayor.

      Report Post »  
  • cristo52
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:56am

    Once again, the cops show up after the fact, they have no choice, they arrive late, loaded for bear, and have noting to do but bag bullet casings. No one in the bar was allowed to defend themselves. By effectively taking away 2nd Amendment rights, the state becomes responsible for the defense of individual citizens. And once again, the state fails. As it does every time it denies a citizen the right to protect himself.

    Report Post »  
    • zstevie
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 3:16pm

      Maybe there is culpability in wrongful deaths when citizens are denied established means of self defense that likely contributed to their means of preserving their own life. Sue the ity for causing vulnerabilities that wouldn‘t exist if the 2nd amendment weren’t banned.

      Report Post »  
  • SoCtNights
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:50am

    Unfortunately, anyone can snap. A few years back here in CT a State Police officer came out of divorce court, pulled his weapon, shot and killed his ex-wife, critically wounded her lawyer then killed himself. This had a 30 second news spot in local news one evening.

    Those of us who carry legally have to be willing to protect innocent lives when presented with these situations.

    Report Post » SoCtNights  
  • jackact
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:47am

    Total mayhem in all BLUE states.
    Yes, we saw this coming.
    The ugly face of failed progressivism destroys everything it touches.

    Report Post »  
  • biffo
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:45am

    Seattle is a liberal, pro criminal, state. Coddling the gangs and allowing the mentaly ill to roam their streets to the tune of ‘kumbaya’ returns these results, sooner or later. All due respect to the dead, but any taxpaying adult knows that Seatlle is complicit in these deaths. You reap what you sow. Have another pro cop killer demonstration and stop by the graves of the innocent on the way by…..

    Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 11:42am

      as a western wa gal who lives on the east side with all the nice folks over here in the bellevue area, this woman in the mercedes with 2 kids lives by us and was at my dr’s office, came out and was slaughtered. we drive downtown seattle to swedish for the best care in the state and this is what comes of it? we on the eastside pay for all this insanity since we share a county with these tools. they do absolutely nothing about the mentally ill roaming around us the gangs the anything. I am so sick over this one. the woman was executed for her mercedes where I was getting into my truck the day prior. I hate seattle, we all do in western and eastern wa. all they do is whine and complain and come to the rest of us with their hands out. seattle needs to be voted off the island so to speak.

      Report Post »  
    • MAMMY_NUNN
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 3:04pm

      Isn’t that a pro pot community ?
      If so shouldn’t they be mellow or paranoid.

      Report Post »  
    • Spqr1
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 1:22am

      biffo: Wow, not smart enough to know that Seattle isn’t a State. And if you did even the tiniest bit of reading, you’d know that the idea that Seattle is “Pro-Criminal” is beyond insane. You would do well to remain silent on things you know nothing of, you will appear less the fool that way.

      Report Post »  
    • Spqr1
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 1:45am

      and HorseCrazy: I’d rather deal with a little possible danger than work or live in that cultural wasteland of Bellevue. 20th rate symphony, no opera, no ballet, no theater, no Major League teams and an art museum you can’t even keep open. Where the reigning deities are St Mercedes and St Lexus and you all go pray at the Bellevue Church… I mean Mall. Where the lily-white WASPs are so afraid of the outside world they don’t even let non-chain stores in. Bellevue is a vapid, provincial little backwater that could never more than that. “We all like in ticky-tacky and we all look just the same” describes the Eastside perfectly.

      Report Post »  
  • nobull14
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:42am

    I am sorry and pray for the people this nut case killed . But these cops look like they spend to much time at the Donuts shop they really look out of shape ??

    Report Post »  
  • searching for the Truth
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:34am

    Sometimes you just have to listen to that Voice telling you, ” Don’t go into that cafe, don’t go into that bar, or service station! “

    Report Post »  
  • semihardrock
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:34am

    registered demoncrat!

    Report Post » semihardrock  
  • Athinkerinaseaoflibs
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:33am

    We have Jimmy Carter to blame for this. He was the one who signed into law that required us push the mentally ill out into the street if they wanted to leave. The entire liberal clown parade blames Ronald Reagan for doing it but he was just following the law that exists–Imagine that, a President who follows the law, but I digress. There are thousands of people on the street who are a threat to all of us.
    The reason that Seattle is getting all of the mentally ill is that the liberals there use the homeless and the mentally ill as a prop for their agenda. It works out great to use the mentally ill to further your cause, they can object or realize they are being used. Look up the organization “Share Wheel” and you will see the root of the problem. I consider it abuse what these and other poverty pimps are doing with the weak in our society. They have no intention of solving the problem; quite to the contrary, they get more power when the bigger the problem is.

    Report Post »  
  • Mainer forever
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:32am

    Dear GOD such a sad story.

    Report Post » Mainer forever  
  • RoBoTech
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:32am

    “Gun Violence”.
    Here we go again.
    The gun didn’t kill anyone, the person did.
    A deranged person.
    And 60 bullets fired by GANG MEMBERS?
    These weren’t legal guns or gun owners.
    But that doesn’t matter.
    “City Councilman Bruce Harrell said leaders needed to consider everything – from changing laws to addressing the culture of violence.”
    “culture of violence”, Liberal code words for “we need more gun laws”.
    Totally predictable. Far more predictable than the one about the insane guy, that’s for sure.

    Report Post »  
    • orthodoxc
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:49am

      The culture of violence can be changed just by outlawing liberalism. Libs have taken God out of society so the devil has taken his place. Libs tell us that we should do what makes us happy. In other words don’t worry about anyone else just yourself. I was taught as a Catholic that we must treat others as we want to be treated and that we would be judged by how we treat others.

      Report Post »  
  • less.gov.gal
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:31am

    And this is why more people need to be licensened to carry. Not to long ago in Eugene, Oregon, a man tried to rob a coffee stand. The man who was working had a gun and was able to defend himself. I am sure the story could have had a much more tragic ending.

    Report Post »  
  • brntout
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:14am

    I digress….Do any of these officers look fit to do anything but carry firepower?

    Report Post »  
  • brntout
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:12am

    Funny how you can see it coming,yet you do nothing about it.20/20 is always a great advantage for CYA ,ey Seattle?

    Report Post »  
  • barber2
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:09am

    Isn‘t it a shame that a family member did not intervene since the one mentioned said he wasn’t surprised by what happened ? Freedom, family indifference, guns, and mentally ill people do not mke a good combination.

    Report Post »  
    • Roberto G. Vasquez
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:28am

      @BARBER2

      Violent mentally ill people should be locked up, lkie they used to be. Unfortunately, the dumb and dumber liberals let them all loose years ago. So………..fact is every crazy that murders is the son of liberalism gone crazy.

      Report Post »  
    • Spqr1
      Posted on June 1, 2012 at 1:50am

      barber2: If you read about this somewhere other than the nut-job press, you‘d find you’re entire premise is totally false. You would do well to remain silent on things you know nothing of, you will appear less the fool that way.

      Report Post »  

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