A teenage boy is being treated at Harborview Medical Center after a drive-by shooting in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood, in which police say a barrage of gunfire was unleashed from a passing car. The shooting left the community shaken and detectives searching for the vehicle and the people inside it.
According to Seattle police, the gunfire erupted at the Van Asselt Community Center, near Myrtle Street and Beacon Avenue, at around 9 p.m. The location, a neighborhood community center, is the kind of gathering place that draws residents during the evening hours.
Investigators say at least 45 rounds were fired from a car as it drove by. The sheer volume of shots, unleashed in a residential part of the city, points to a sustained burst of gunfire rather than a single shot, and it left evidence that officers worked to collect at the scene.
That number of rounds, fired in a populated area outside a community center in the evening, put anyone nearby at risk. The teenager was hit while simply standing in a doorway, underscoring how exposed bystanders can be when gunfire is sprayed from a moving vehicle.
The wounded 15-year-old was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. The hospital is the region's main trauma center, where the most serious injuries from across the area are treated.
Detectives are now reviewing surveillance and other camera footage from the area in an effort to identify the suspect vehicle. Police said they are also working to piece together what led up to the shooting, including any confrontation or dispute that may have preceded the gunfire.
As of the latest update, no arrests had been announced and the motive remained unclear. Police are asking anyone with information or video from the area around the time of the shooting to come forward as the investigation into the drive-by continues.