Gunman In Cafe Killings Shoots Self: Seattle Cops
The suspected killer of three people and shooter of two others at a cafe in Seattle's University District apparently has shot himself, police said Wednesday afternoon.
A man matching the description of the shooter put a gun to his head and fired as police approached, officials said, as reported by ABC News.
When the officers and SWAT started vectoring in on the suspect, he saw uniformed officers, he apparently knelt down in the middle of the street and put the gun to his head, Seattle Police Assistant Chief Jim Pugel told reporters.
Seattle police later tweeted that the suspect is still alive and receiving treatment at Harborview Medical Center. He was listed in critical condition, according to the Associated Press.
A police source told the Seattle Times that the suspect has been identified as Ian Lee Stawicki, 40, of Seattle, whose family said he had mental problems that prompted them to fear something could go wrong.
It's no surprise to me this happened, his brother, Andrew Stawicki of Ellensburg, Wash., told the newspaper. We could see this coming. Nothing good is going to come with that much anger inside of you.
Police searching for the suspect also had to respond to another fatal shooting near the city's downtown. They say a man killed a woman in an apparent carjacking and fled in a black SUV. Authorities said late Wednesday they believe one man was responsible for both attacks.
At this time, we feel pretty confident that we have the suspect in both cases, said Assistant Seattle Police Chief Nick Metz.
The gunman knelt down in the street when surrounded by police and shot himself in the head, the Los Angeles Times reported.
We strongly believe that this is the person that committed the homicides, Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel told reporters after the dramatic face-off in West Seattle. The shootings left four people dead and two critically injured.
Among the three people killed at the Cafe Racer, near the University of Washington, were two men who were members of the group God's Favorite Beefcake, which had performed over the weekend at the city's Folklife Festival, witnesses told KIRO television. One of the pair was a sword swallower and fire breather who often performed in local burlesque shows, the station said.
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