© 2026 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Bystanders recorded man shot 3 times during Seattle 'takeover' but REFUSED to help him, family says
Chris Porter/Getty Images

Bystanders recorded man shot 3 times during Seattle 'takeover' but REFUSED to help him, family says

The family says he tearfully told them that no one would help him despite his gushing blood.

The family of a man who was shot three times says he nearly died while bystanders looked on and refused to help him.

21-year-old Matthew Lanske had finished having dinner with friends and family on Sunday when he found himself at a street takeover at the Belltown neighborhood in Seattle, according to his family.

The family said onlookers recorded the bleeding man but did not try to help him.

Two women and a man tried to rob one of Lanske's friends at gunpoint, and he intervened by trying to take the gun.

"My brother tried to take it from him and then ended up getting shot," said Lanske's sister Rebecca Garberding.

He was shot twice in the stomach, and another gunshot struck a major artery and shattered his pelvis, according to the family.

Shanda Barney, Lanske's mother, said he was bleeding profusely.

"My son had been shot three times. He was bleeding to death, yet somehow, he walked two blocks trying to find somebody to help him," Barney said.

Lanske later said that he had tried to get into a 7-Eleven store while bleeding but that they refused to let him inside.

"He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, ‘Mom, they wouldn’t let me in. They locked the doors. I begged them to let me, and there was so much blood coming out of my stomach, I thought I was going to die,'" his mother said.

Lanske eventually sat down and texted his girlfriend for help. He was transported to the Harborview Medical Center for treatment.

He was placed on life support for two days and was unable to speak, according to his mother.

The family said onlookers recorded the bleeding man but did not try to help him.

"What breaks my heart almost as much as the shooting itself is knowing that while my son was fighting for his life, people were standing around filming him, taking pictures instead of helping him," Barney continued.

"If you were running away from that area and you didn’t do anything, feel ashamed," she added. "Please feel ashamed right now because you didn’t help to do anything when you could have."

Lanske has undergone two surgeries and has many more in his future before he can return to his job in construction.

RELATED: Bystanders taunted and laughed as police officers were being fired upon in Philadelphia

The family is asking for help from the public to identify suspects in the attack.

"We are asking for accountability, answers, and justice," said Garberding.

"Somehow, someone out there knows something. Maybe you saw something. Maybe you heard something. Just please come forward," she added.

The family set up a GoFundMe account to help them pay for his medical bills.

"To my baby brother, I love you. We love you. Keep fighting. You’re not alone," his sister added. "We’re right here and we’re never going to give up on you."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Carlos Garcia

Carlos Garcia

Staff Writer

Carlos Garcia is a staff writer for Blaze News.