By Dave Workman
The smoke hasn’t quite yet cleared in Seattle more than two months after a deadly shooting on the final day of the annual “Bite of Seattle” food fest, and socialist Democrat Mayor Katie Wilson increasingly appears to be sailing a rudderless ship with not many oars in the water.
A report in The Center Square this week reveals that, like others on the political left, Wilson is falling back on the traditional strategy of calling for additional regulation of firearms, and the law-abiding citizens who own them. There has been only one arrest in the case, and there apparently were one or possible two other shooters involved, and one of the firearms allegedly used—based on empty shell casings recovered at the scene—has not been recovered.
A prominent Seattle-area attorney, William Kirk, who is also president of Washington Gun Law, summed it up via email to TGM.
“This entire debacle demonstrates the complete and utter failure of City leadership, and the effectiveness of the dozens of state gun laws passed in recent years,” Kirk stated. “As for the ‘investigation,’ let us remember that there is at least one, and possibly two suspects still running around this city, responsible for this violence. I wish there was a better term to describe the city’s response, but from the very first, and quite delayed press conference, to this very moment, it’s a complete clown show,
“The lesson to be learned for everyone in Washington,” he continued, “is that shockingly, criminals, especially those who are hellbent on committing violence, don’t follow the laws. Yet, watch the State legislature this year try to ban more guns or create more gun free zones on the delusion that these laws will save lives. The violence problem in our state is identifiable, yet the legislature chooses to disarm lawful and responsible citizens instead. This has also occurred at a time when Washington State has become the state with the fewest law enforcement officers per capita in America.
“Bottom line,” Kirk bluntly observed, “it shows a complete and total failure of leadership from Olympia down to local government.”
The suspect arrested by police at the crime scene is only 15 years old. It is illegal for him to have been carrying a handgun, concealed, and with what has been described as a “high-capacity magazine,” which was prohibited by law more three years ago in the state. Another shooter, aged 19, was killed in the shooting, which city leaders reluctantly acknowledged was as gang-related incident. The former police chief went so far as to only refer to them as “small groups” of individuals rather than gangs.
King County, in which Seattle is located, has more than 111,000 active concealed pistol licenses, held by law-abiding adults, according to recent data from the state Department of Licensing. While they were prohibited from carrying defensive sidearms at the “Bite” event, obviously underage teens paid no attention.
Last month, Wilson—who never held public office before being elected may last year—released her gun violence prevention plan to a rather ho-hum reception. As noted at the time by The Center Square, “the plan puts the city’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department (CARE), which runs the Seattle 911 Communications Centers and provides crisis services to people in distress, in charge of responding to gun violence.”
In her plan, Wilson wants to work with the state legislature to:
- Strengthen gun violence prevention: Support community led firearm safety efforts and violence interruption programs, with targeted investments in strategies that reduce youth gun violence.
- Regulating firearms in sensitive spaces: Advance policies that limit firearm possession in parks, select public buildings, and major public events where children are highly likely to be present.
- Juvenile Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Sentencing Reform: Continue working with legislators as they evaluate options to update juvenile firearm possession and sentencing laws.
- Regulating Firearms at Seattle Center: Collaborate with Rep. Liz Berry and other partners to assess Seattle Center–specific firearm regulations and the operational considerations required to implement them effectively.
- Public Safety on Aurora Ave. North: Support a comprehensive safety strategy that integrates gun violence prevention with human trafficking intervention, victim services, multimodal transportation improvements, and community-based outreach.
But none of these measures, had they been in place, would have prevented the shooting, which claimed the lives of two innocent bystanders, according to gun rights activists.
