October 2, 2022
UW statements on weekend violence in the University District
Early Sunday morning, the University of Washington used the UW Alert system to warn the Seattle campus community about a shooting that occurred near NE 43rd Street and University Way NE just after 1 a.m. Four UW students were injured and transported to Harborview Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. UW President Ana Mari Cauce made the following statement in response to the shooting:
We are grateful the students’ injuries were not life-threatening and that they are receiving the best possible care at Harborview. But regardless of the severity of the physical injuries, events like this are life-changing and reverberate both in the lives of those most immediately affected and our entire community. We have reached out to the students, including those who were in the vicinity, to provide support and resources following this physically and emotionally traumatic experience.
Our University is committed to fostering a safe and secure environment for our students, faculty and staff, including in the neighborhoods near campus. We’ve been working with the city, Seattle police and the U District Partnership to address the root causes behind the increase in personal and property crime in the University District, and to ensure immediate responses to incidents when they occur.
No one should have to fear for their safety as they go about their daily lives. Gun violence is a public health crisis and we’re committed to working with our partners – including by providing evidence-based policy and health research – as we collectively work to make our community a safer place for everyone.
University Spokesperson Victor Balta provided additional context on this and another incident that occurred about 24 hours earlier:
Seattle police reported that witnesses said two men got into a fight outside of a bar near NE 43rd Street and University Way NE around 1 a.m. Sunday when one man pulled out a gun and fired three to five shots. The shooter fled before officers arrived and police were unable to find the suspect. Seattle police’s investigation into this incident is ongoing.
The previous day, around 12:05 a.m. Saturday, Seattle police responded to a report of shots fired in the 4200 block of Brooklyn Avenue NE, after which an individual fled the scene in a car and struck and killed a pedestrian. Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones and friends following this tragedy. Neither the victim nor the driver were affiliated with the UW. Seattle police arrested the driver and no UW Alert was issued because the immediate threat to safety from that individual had ended. Seattle police’s investigation into that incident is also ongoing.
