At least five shot, one fatally, in downtown Seattle

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, July 27, 2006

SEATTLE – At least five people were shot, one of them fatally, Friday afternoon at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, and one person was arrested, authorities said.

Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick confirmed one person had died but had no additional information about that victim.

At least two women, ages 23 and 29, were shot, a third woman was shot, and one person suffered a knee injury that may have been caused by shattered glass or a gunshot, Fitzpatrick said. All of the victims were adults, police said.

A witness said the gunman told staff members at the Jewish Federation: “I’m a Muslim American. I’m angry at Israel.”

Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel detectives are investigating whether the shooting was random or religious- or culturally-motivated.

Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz refused to discuss the nationality of the suspect.

Several witnesses said they saw a man walk up and shoot a woman in the leg on a sidewalk near the building. One witness, who refused to give his name, said that shooting was just outside a nearby Starbucks. There was a small pool of blood outside that coffee shop.

Police blocked off several city blocks and evacuated several nearby buildings as they investigated.

Seattle police spokesman Rich Pruitt said investigators were confident that the man they had in custody was the only shooting suspect.

A SWAT team searched the federation building, looking for any other victims, anyone hiding or any other possible shooters, Pruitt said.

Patti Simon was at work at the federation’s newspaper on the first floor when she heard screaming, shots and what sounded like furniture crashing on the floor above.

“We heard this horrible screaming on the floor above us and shots,” said Simon, 52, who sells advertising at the paper. “We didn’t know what was happening.”

Simon called up to her co-workers on the second floor, but got no answer, so she called the police and fled the building.

“People got shot, some of our co-workers,” Simon said, her voice shaking. “I just got back from Israel and made it out of there a half hour before the rockets started.”

Simon said the federation has security in the building.

“Somebody must have lied there way in,” Simon said.

The federation’s Web site describes its mission as “to ensure Jewish survival and enhance the quality of Jewish life by meeting needs locally, in Israel and worldwide.”