Seattle Shooting: One Dead, Teen Injured Near Protest Zone, City Pushes For Return Of Police

One man was killed and a teenage boy was injured from a shooting early Monday near Seattle's Capitol Hill Protest Zone (CHOP).

Seattle police announced that they were investigating the incident, which happened at about 3:00 a.m. It was the fourth shooting within or near the bounds of the zone in the last 10 days, putting further scrutiny and pressure on city officials over its continued existence.

According to a spokesperson for Harborview Medical Center, one man injured in the shooting was taken to the hospital by Seattle Fire Department medics for treatment and later died. A 14-year-old boy was reportedly driven in a private vehicle to Harborview where he is receiving treatment.

Both were in critical condition upon arrival. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of either victim, but the New York Times reported that both are Black.

Calls made to police about the shooting reported that shots were fired at a white Jeep Cherokee near one of the barriers marking the boundaries of CHOP, near 12th Avenue and East Pike Street. Police believe that the two victims were the occupants of the vehicle. Attempts to examine the vehicle were dismissed as it had evidently been tampered with after the shooting.

CHOP was established in early June after the Seattle Police Department left the East Precinct and police brutality protesters began using the area as a peaceful autonomous zone. Despite the early media frenzy — Fox News allegedly used doctored photos to suggest that CHOP was more dangerous than in reality — the zone largely remained calm in its first weeks, with organizers offering food, giving speeches and screening movies.

Recent violent outbursts have occurred at CHOP, with the four shootings in total leaving six dead. On June 20, police responded to a shooting near Cal Anderson Park in CHOP that left a 19-year-old man dead and a 33-year-old man with life-threatening injuries. Further shootings occurred on June 21 and 23, each leaving one person injured.

In response, Seattle police on June 22 ordered CHOP occupiers to leave, further reiterating their intention to shut down the area on Sunday. Mayor Jenny Durkan has confirmed plans to return police to the East Precinct but has not given a specific timetable. Work crews on Friday attempted to remove the barricades erected around the borders of CHOP with construction equipment but were stopped after a clash with protestors.

Durkan has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over her handling of CHOP, with three members of the nine-person city council calling for her resignation over the issue. President Trump has also criticized the city's handling of the situation.