"No Gunfire" was scrawled in chalk near a blockade of dirt, concrete, and metal—a desperate message from a Seattle neighborhood under siege.
Residents in a Seattle neighborhood near Aurora Avenue have erected barricades across residential streets following a recent surge in gun violence.
Key Details
- On Saturday, police responded to a shooting at Aurora Avenue North and North 98th Street around 4 a.m. and found approximately 40 shell casings.
- Bullets damaged at least one vehicle and several buildings.
- Residents reported stray bullets hitting parked cars and entering homes in recent weeks.
- Barricades were constructed with dirt, concrete, gravel, and corrugated metal panels painted silver, with reflective tape and a red crate for visibility.
- Earlier versions of the barricades were vandalized; residents rebuilt them with stronger materials.
- A hand-drawn chalk message reading "No Gunfire" was on the pavement near one blockade.
Background
Residents said the violence is connected to prostitution and illegal activity along Aurora Avenue. They reported contacting city officials, including the mayor's office and police, but said little had changed. Some residents are demanding stricter enforcement of Seattle's SOAP ordinance, passed in 2024 to combat prostitution and sex trafficking.
Official Response
The mayor's office acknowledged the violence as "deeply unsettling" and said officials met with residents. Seattle police will increase overnight patrols and deploy the Gun Violence Reduction Unit to the area.