By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Embattled Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson on Tuesday announced her plan to combat violent crime plaguing the city in response to the deadly shooting at the Seattle Center’s “Bite of Seattle” event Sunday, and with all of the rhetoric boiled out, it amounts to pursuing more gun control.
The Seattle Police are also acknowledging the shooting was likely gang related and a targeted incident. Years ago, the department’s Gang Unit was disbanded, and gang activities are now handled by the “Gun Violence Reduction Unit.”
Toward the end of a 1 minute, 32 second statement outlining her strategy, Wilson stated, “We also know that reducing the number of guns on our streets requires state and federal policy changes. We are grateful for the leadership of our governor and state lawmakers to advance this work in Olympia and to our united states senators and representatives who tirelessly advocate for commonsense reforms in our nation’s capital.”
The freshman mayor, in office for only seven months, said her administration has been communicating with several groups: the National Network for Safe Communities, Cure Violence Global, the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and Cities United. She thanked Councilwoman Maritza Rivera “for the gun violence symposium she recently organized to help move this conversation forward.”
By no surprise, Wilson has apparently not reached out to gun rights organizations, which could provide information about firearms safety.
Wilson and Police Chief Shon Barnes have been under harsh criticism for how the investigation unfolded following the Seattle Center shooting, which left three people dead, including one of three suspected teenage gunmen, and four others wounded.
In an unscientific survey, KOMO asked viewers whether they approve of the way the city is handling the investigation of the fatal shooting. A staggering 81 percent said “No,” while only 4 percent said “Yes.” Fourteen percent said it is too early to judge.
More Revelations
Barnes, during remarks to reporters Tuesday, said police responding to the shooting recovered a 9mm semiautomatic pistol known as the Polymer 80, which he referred to as a “ghost gun.”
“These are typically homemade and they are illegal,” Barnes said.
He said the extended magazine removed from this pistol was capable of holding 33 cartridges. There were 19 rounds remaining when the gun was recovered from the 15-year-old suspect now in custody and being held on assault and weapons charges.
KOMO, the ABC affiliate in Seattle, is reporting police also recovered a modified 9mm Glock 45 pistol fitted with a device generically called a “Glock switch,” because it converts the pistol to fire full-automatic. This pistol also reportedly was fitted with a 40-round magazine, of which 21 apparently remained in the gun. A third pistol was also found, identified as a 9mm Springfield with a standard 7-round magazine. Police apparently do not believe that gun was involved in the shooting.
Both the modified Glock and the Polymer 80 with its 33-round magazine are illegal in Washington, which raises the question about all of the restrictive gun control laws passed over the past few years, including bans on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines,” a 10-day waiting period for all gun purchases, so-called “enhanced background checks” and other measures.
Because the known shooters were both underage to own or be legally carrying handguns, none of these measures prevented them from being at the Seattle Center.
