Seattle shooting: Two dead and three injured after 'targeted' shooting in homeless camp
The shootings took place as Seattle Mayor Ed Murray gave a speech on the city’s approach to homelessness
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Two people have been killed and three others injured in a shooting at a Seattle homeless encampment, police have said.
Officers received reports of gunfire around 7.15pm local time on Tuesday evening, in an area named 'The Jungle', which is known for having several homeless encampments.
The shootings took place as Seattle Mayor Ed Murray gave a speech on the city’s approach to homelessness, just two miles north of the encampment.
Seattle Police Assistant Chief Robert Merner said: “We have reason to believe it was very targeted as far as what happened here tonight.”
Chief Kathleen O’Toole said there is no threat to the larger homeless population, reported NBC News.
The Seattle Times reported the shooting “appeared to be a dispute among people who knew each other,” according to a police source.
The Mayor had declared a state of emergency on the issue in November, after the city’s homelessness population increased.
He said the city houses around 2,000 people in night shelters, which has increased by 20 per cent in the last year.
“We are involved in a homeless crisis, the like we have not seen since the Great Depression. There is no simple answer”, said the Mayor during his speech.
He said “The Jungle” has been “unmanagble and out of control” for almost two decades and the city would launch an assessment on the encampment within two days and added “I can’t help but wonder ‘Did I act too late?’”.
Those who died included two men, one who died at hospital and another declared dead at the scene, according to police.
Among the other victims are a woman, who is in a critical condition, and another man and woman, who are said to be in a serious state, police have said.
The names of those involved have not been released, but officials confirmed all of the victims lived at the camp.
Susan Gregg, a spokeswoman for Harbour Medical Centre, where those involvedwere taken, said the victims were aged between 25 and 45 and had suffered gunshot wounds to the chest abdomen and back, reported Fox News.
“We can’t speculate, but we’re hopeful” they will survive Ms Gregg told the Seattle Times.
Police are searching for two people in connection with the shooting, but have not released any further information.
Tuesday’s shooting is the second fatal attack in a Seattle encampment in the last five months, after a homeless woman was beaten to death and her husband attacked in August.
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