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'My mom has gone crazy;' four dead in West Seattle shooting

by KING 5 News and Associated Press

KING5.com

Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:19 PM

Updated Friday, Sep 24 at 11:29 AM

Shootiing investigation
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SEATTLE – A woman fatally shot three people and herself at a Seattle home Thursday, injuring another woman who fled into the front yard and told officers: "My mom has gone crazy," police said.

Police responded to a home in the 1400 block of SW Roxbury Street, near 14th Avenue SW, at about 1:30 p.m.

While police were still arriving, a man in his 50s ran into the house. Two more shots were fired and he ran back out.
When officers talked to him, he said that his wife had shot herself.

Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said a wounded woman -- who fled the house and is expected to survive -- was able to speak to officers when they arrived.

"All she said was, `My mom has gone crazy,'" Pugel said.

"We did find one person who was wounded outside of a house," said Police Sergeant Sean Whitcomb. "That person told us there was indeed shots being fired. We actually did hear shots being fired while we were present. Multiple officers responded. We entered the house and did discover that there were multiple people inside who had been shot."

When officers entered the house, they found four people dead - two women in their late teens, a man in his 30s and a woman in her 60s. Police believe the 62-year-old woman was the shooter.

The injured woman, 40, was in stable condition at Harborview Medical Center late Thursday.

The Seattle Times spoke to Tony Sun, a member of the family who arrived home shortly after the shootings. He says his grandmother was the shooter. The wounded woman is 40-year-old Thy Luellen. Killed were Thy's husband, Choeun Harm, and two of their daughters, Jennifer Harm, 17, and Melina Harm, 14.

"Grandma just shot them for no reason," Sun told the Times.

Sun said Thy's son, Kevin, 16, grabbed his other sister, Neveah, 6, and ran out of the house.

The King County Medical Examiner has not yet officially identifed the dead.

Police said two handguns were recovered from the house in a lower middle-class neighborhood a block north of southwest Seattle's city limits. No motive for the shootings was known, officers said.

A witness tells KING 5 News that seven or eight people may have been living in the home. A man who said he was a relative of one of the family members said the family had just moved in to the home two weeks ago. He said there hadn't been any problems in the home. The owner of the home said the family was Cambodian.

"The family, they're all great people. I don't know what could have been the start of this tragedy,” said Melinda Jackson, who worked with the surviving victim at Magic Lanes Casino and Bowl in White Center.

Neighbor Lisa Freeman said she heard the shots and came out to investigate.

"(Police) had guns and everything drawn. There was kid over there crying with a shirt over his face and a woman holding a little kid. Another woman walked away and was crying," Freeman said.

Travis Rowland, 53, said he was about a block away waiting to get his truck repaired at an auto shop when he saw a woman run from the house hollering.

As police arrived, Rowland said, a man "busted away from the police officers and ran into the house." Rowland said the man was inside for about 10 to 15 seconds before "there were a couple more shots, pow, pow, pow. At first I didn't know who was shooting. He came back outside."

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 15 of 63

seattlschip said on October 13, 2010 at 2:28 AM

SAD not just for the fact that my family and I have just lost such a big part of the family but for the fact that people can just say or think that this can only happen to someone else's family. I wouldn't have in a billion years thought that my family would have to see such a sudden and large lost! to see the lack of compassion from some and the lack of effort to truely understand that our family was not a troubled family that fell from the sky, from some far distance planet but we are a family that grew up here in all parts of seattle just like most other families but not like some families we are not rich with wealth but was always rich with the love and respect that we had for 1 another with hard working and strong father figures who loved their wifes kids and grand kids with all their hearts and would have given and done everything for the sake of our family. my father and my bro' inlaw wouldn't have raised such loving kids if they didnt have the help from the *wifes* they loved!

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hypercritical said on September 26, 2010 at 6:25 PM

I keep a gun under my pillow, just in case, I may go, INSANE!!

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anonymous2uiam said on September 25, 2010 at 7:21 PM

This just goes to show that "some" women can't be trusted with guns. How did she get access to the gun? Who was the gun registered to? Had this female been involved in any other altercations or was it simply just to much pressure of life in general bestowed upon this one individual. Something had to of happened that broke the last straw on the camels back. But in this case we may never know as dead people don't talk!

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collentine1 said on September 24, 2010 at 11:03 PM

Yes, the good people of West Seattle want no part of this. Interesting the media failed to mention the location as White Center, the armpit of the city. This is not West Seattle or Highland Park!

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piper said on September 24, 2010 at 1:38 PM

People calling other posters idiots - get over yourselves.

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jean123 said on September 24, 2010 at 1:36 PM

Wth are you guys talking about?? Is anyone reading the story?! What does white center or religion have anything to do with this? You guys are ridiculous. Idiots! All of you!!

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jean123 said on September 24, 2010 at 1:31 PM

Skippythedog you are an absolute idiot. If you don't have anything intelligent to say don't say anything at all.

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jean123 said on September 24, 2010 at 1:29 PM

Bsjsns

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jiminpdx said on September 24, 2010 at 12:46 PM

I think the religion of posting stupid comments is the biggest killer in history.

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piper said on September 24, 2010 at 12:16 PM

clydehill - The "religion of atheism"? Do you even know what atheism is?

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clydehill said on September 24, 2010 at 12:09 PM

holykow, good point. And the religion of atheism is by far the biggest killer of people in history.

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holykow said on September 24, 2010 at 11:40 AM

Actually clear2copy and jgcimino, the greatest killing device ever created by man is religion...More people have been killed by people 'enforcing' religion and or their beliefs RE such things than cigarettes, drugs and DUIs combined... hk

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piper said on September 24, 2010 at 11:18 AM

Washcomom - "In general, Cambodian people are very reserved and have strong family values." What's your point?

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skippypotpiebaby said on September 24, 2010 at 10:41 AM

WHITE CENTER=RAT CITY!!!!

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wizardofalbany said on September 24, 2010 at 10:31 AM

ROXBURY IS NOT West Seattle, it is the Delridge Community.

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babsie214 said on September 24, 2010 at 10:05 AM

batti4: Re-read the story. This time, do it slowly. Its not King5. Be sure to pay attantion, I mean, attention to detail. Remember to slow down and take time to smell the roses.

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mlz1978 said on September 24, 2010 at 9:57 AM

First of all, I'm not sure why people are making excuses for the shooter. I'm sure lots of serial killers have a bad past, still does not make it ok. As far as calling the parents to let them know what's going on, most schools these days have automated systems that will dial all numbers in the directory with the same message. My school went into lockdown for a local issue and I received the AUTOMATED message on my home and cell phone. I'm really sad for the VICTIMS and the family. I can't imagine.

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wcglass said on September 24, 2010 at 9:57 AM

First and foremost - this is an unbelievable tragedy and I am almost certain that no amount of answers will bring full closure for this family. I certainly hope that they find peace amongst each other in this very difficult time. Second - I have been trying to make sense of this and am finding that there is no way to do so. This was truely senseless. I would like to note that I agree with some of the other writers... it makes no difference that this happened in White Center - it would have been equally tragic in any neighborhood. (If you want to get technical - it's on the West Seattle side of Roxbury.) Abby

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musiclover41 said on September 24, 2010 at 9:56 AM

Hey KING 5 do us a favor and do your job right. This is WHITE CENTER!!! not the beautiful West Seattle. Oh and my condolences to the families...

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sumithryo said on September 24, 2010 at 8:47 AM

mrjes - hey why not go even further back to the prehistoric days for the cause....I mean you never know.

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jcparent said on September 24, 2010 at 8:24 AM

@dnicallison: IF you were notified, what would you have done? Run to the school? Called the school? Called the district office? The police and the schools need to focus on those they currently have in their sights (schools: our children and police: the situation) I can only imagine that having 750 parents coming to 'save' their children or calling the schools would tie up the phone lines and detract from the focus of the children. As a parent of the child at one of these local schools, I am glad their focus was on our kids and not on us as parents at the time in which they needed to be focused on their safety. Kudos for NOT contacting us DURING an incident like this. By the way, these vicitims, went to the local schools too...does your child(ren) know them, how are they coping with this lose? Now as a parent, it is our turn to step in and focus on the safety of our children to ensure they have their needs met after knowing someone that went through an ordeal like this. Hug them

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kbbcoop said on September 24, 2010 at 8:04 AM

Nobody has guns in Canada but police?? Where in the world did you hear that? MOST Canadians have guns! thats what makes them less likely to be a victim of crime.

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r1637 said on September 24, 2010 at 7:52 AM

I know that family...My prayers goes out to them...They are very good people. The shooter was known as the wedding planner..She dressed me in khmer traditional clothing for my wedding and many others on theirs, for years. Both wife and husband went through the khmer rouge regime along with my parents. The war has affected them in so many ways we can't imagine, the death of their young children and others before their eyes. It's tragic. And becomes an illness. Just watching the "Killing Fields" will bring anyone to tears from beginning to end.

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dave313131200161 said on September 24, 2010 at 7:49 AM

Yikes. Scary stuff. Condolances to the remaining family members.

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washcomom said on September 24, 2010 at 7:10 AM

In general, Cambodian people are very reserved and have strong family values. It saddens me to see any family dealing with such a tragedy. We don't know what caused her to crack, but my thoughts are with the remainder of the family.

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jeana121170 said on September 24, 2010 at 6:45 AM

Batti4 - It says one of the victims was the husband of the female that was shot and survived, not the shooters husband.

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batti4 said on September 24, 2010 at 5:32 AM

Maybe somone can clarify something for me. Early in this story, it says "While police were still arriving, a man in his 50s ran into the house. Two more shots were fired and he ran back out. When officers talked to him, he said that his wife had shot herself." Then later it says one of the victims was the Husband of the shooter. Which one is it? I am getting really dissappointed in King5 and their lack of attantion to detail, not to mention that other news channels have more information on things.

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mrjes said on September 24, 2010 at 4:13 AM

This is truly a tragic incident. Another poster mentioned that the Cambodian people had suffered unspeakable horrors in their homeland during the Pol Pot regime and altough we don't know to what degree we can attribute this woman's actions to what she may have experienced during those years, it is indeed possible that the pathogenesis of her behavior may be traced there. I could go on at length about the brutality, torture and executions that the population endured but as incomprehensible as those events might seem to us, they're a matter of public record. Google "Pol Pot" ,"Khymer Rouge" or watch The Killing Fields film for some backround information. Neither I or anyone else at this juncture knows what prompted this sad event and I am in no way suggesting that one's past is in some manner a sureproof determiner of one's future behavior. Two people experiencing precisely the same circumstances may respond to in completely different ways. My prayers for this suffering family.

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thetruth01 said on September 24, 2010 at 1:55 AM

dnicallison: you are a BOOB, I work for a school district (not seattle) here in Washington state IF you went to orientation you would know that "lock-downs" are something that is discussed (BY LAW) and you would know how it works and you wouldn't have been so surprised when your kid got off of the bus. ALSO calling all of the parents even of a small school (750 kids) can take DAYS! the average call is 1 minute, three office employees, divide 750 by 3 then divide that by 60 it would take OVER 4 HOURS TO CALL EVERYONE! and that is IF the phone calls only took one minute each! AGAIN if you went to orientation and LISTENED you would know that for SECURITY REASONS THEY DO NOT CALL PARENTS! rather we send out a notice the next day LEARN HOW IT WORKS BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN! it is YOUR responsibility to be educated on policy NOT the schools job to educate you! its called being an INFORMED RESPONSIBLE PARENT, something I doubt you know anything about

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cmeeverett said on September 24, 2010 at 1:27 AM

I'm not Cambodian, but i have great respect for Cambodians. They've been through a lot. Younger people may not be able to comprehend this, but i can. This grandmother came from a war torn country & may have seen things which no human being should see. Add a little mental illness to this & occasionally people go crazy. We see it with returning Vets all the time. Even when war is over, sometimes it never ends for their victims.

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lilly425 said on September 23, 2010 at 11:38 PM

It doesn't sound like all the pieces of the puzzle have ben put together yet, but I think the fact that this happened in White Center is pretty irrelevant. These days, something like this could happen anywhere. It is very sad and I feel for the rest of the family members.

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jgcimino said on September 23, 2010 at 9:36 PM

This is why I like the Canadian system the best - nobody has a gun except police, and even they don't get to take it home at night with them. That's why Canada police are so nice and courteous and relaxed, (like that delightful Dudley Do-Right,) and America cops are so paranoid and high strung, like that horrible, horrible Charlson Heston.

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julieee said on September 23, 2010 at 7:29 PM

Dude, this is my friends family !, Im soooo sad right now for them ! /: Tho and Liz, Hope you guys are okkk ! <3 i love you guys ! ):

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batti4 said on September 23, 2010 at 7:11 PM

Why did they make a point to say the family was Cambodian???? What does that have to do with what happened???? My thoughts and prayers are with this family.

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mirage said on September 23, 2010 at 7:11 PM

So many White Center haters! I think some of you should come & stay the night in White Center. You may be surprised to know that I moved from Phinney to White Center by CHOICE!! I actually live just down the street from this house. I love it! The story is very sad - I am just amazed at all of you who left comments that it was drug related etc well after the details came out that it was in fact not at all. As for not being able to happen in other neighborhoods - it can happen anywhere. Tick Tock - just wait. You are 6 times more likely to be killed by someone you know than a stranger. sassywoman57 - saying that it is only the idiot behind the gun - I would ask you - what scene would we have today if there was not a gun available to her. Guns have made crime more deadly, less personable and completely physically detached - it is a recipe for disaster. So not only is that person you know more likely to kill you, you are more likely to be killed if you own a gun. Good luck out there!

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maryannmarrs said on September 23, 2010 at 5:59 PM

The only problem with a school calling the parents DURING a lock-down, is that the parents then panic and all come running to the school to protect their children. This makes for a bigger mess for law enforcement trying to clear the area and keep everyone safe. It's better that the school do their job to protect the children and then send a letter home with the child IF they know what is going on. Or you could just get e-mail alerts at your work or on your cell phone for news emergencies and then you will know what is going on in your neighborhood as it's happening. The school did well, law enforcement did well. This is a case of a woman who "snapped" and killed her family. This is a day of mourning for this family. Let's not get political, let's not get prejiduced, let's hug our children and pray that this never happens in our family. Because it could.

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clear2copy said on September 23, 2010 at 5:42 PM

phxaz.. we have what's called a 'reverse 911' for just this sort of incident.. it wouldn't take all day. more like a few minutes

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freedomfrank said on September 23, 2010 at 5:34 PM

Instead of the school calling all the parents, you could just use some common sense and figure it out yourself, you do sound like a typical whacko who just wants to complain because the government ain't holding your hand. GROW UP!!!

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clear2copy said on September 23, 2010 at 5:27 PM

jgcimino..the greatest killing device known to man.. you're talking about cigarettes, right..

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phxaz said on September 23, 2010 at 5:22 PM

dnicallison, are you serious??? You actually expect the school to call the parents of 800 students while this is going on to let them know they have locked down the school? Get real!! First of all, they were probably a little busy locking down the school and communicating with police, ensuring it was safe your your precious little son. Second, IT WOULD TAKE ALL DAY TO CALL THE PARENTS OF 800 STUDENTS! Proper protocal would be to send a letter home with your kid explaining what happened. That is a lot more reasonble.

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thetinman said on September 23, 2010 at 5:19 PM

dnicallison...you sound like you would whine no matter what the school did. You should be glad the school was in "lock down". Do you really expect somebody to sit down and phone each parent? Something like this happened at a school near me and a letter was sent home with each kid. I was just really happy the school protected my children. Get some perspective and be happy your kids are safe at home!

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dnicallison said on September 23, 2010 at 5:02 PM

My son is 5 years old and attends one of the schools that was locked down today. I am furious with the Seattle public school system for their lack of notification to the parents. My son got off the school bus saying," Mommy there was an emergency today and they shut the windows, closed the blinds, and locked us in the classroom." We should have been at least called instead of our children telling us what happened. Way to go Seattle Public Schools!

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sassywoman57 said on September 23, 2010 at 4:58 PM

I think it's tragic that people lost their lives today because more than likely some idiot went nuts and took it out on others!!!! Prayers to the remaining family members!! Why is that some of you idiots must blame the gun??? What you poor misinformed people must realize is it's the idiot behind the gun!!!!! Just another excuse for you liberal anti-gun morons to blame the gun!!! You need to become informed!!

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jakedog said on September 23, 2010 at 4:33 PM

This is appearing to be another gun safety issue, it doesn't look drug related. If you have a mentally unstable person in your home, they are like a young child, you KEEP YOUR GUNS LOCKED UP! I'm sure we'll learn more as this unravels.

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anotherdave said on September 23, 2010 at 4:28 PM

...created an account just to respond to the idea that somehow this can be brushed aside as common, expected and almost desired because it took place in White Center... Even though barnett is correct, technically this is in SEATTLE city limits... I too live very close to here and shocking as it may seem I am a middle class, middle management, average guy with a wife and 2 young kids. I live here because, like many of my neighbors, it is what I could afford near the city I work in. Not everyone has the means to live in Medina... Of course the crime is lower there, its socio-economics, but this still could, can and does happen anywhere. The majority of this community is actually average people trying to support their families and pursue a better life. Culturally diverse? Struggling? Poor? absolutely... but that doesn't make us all gang-banging drug dealers. This blind stereotyping while 4 people, including 2 teens, lie dead and 2 others are left without a family disgusts me.

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tracyh said on September 23, 2010 at 4:10 PM

how sad :(

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anonymoususer said on September 23, 2010 at 4:09 PM

full moon tonight

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cjcampbell said on September 23, 2010 at 4:05 PM

"It's certainly possible that there's a shoot outstanding, although we do have some intelligence and reason to believe that one of the people in the house was the shooter," said Whitcomb, who said the possible shooter was also wounded. -- I don't believe Whitcomb said this. I think he probably said something intelligible, but NWCN has garbled it.

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mitchell99 said on September 23, 2010 at 3:57 PM

If I lived in a house with 10 other people, I think I might go a little nuts too.

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safetyknight said on September 23, 2010 at 3:53 PM

Some people don't think this could happen in their neighborhoods like, "clear2copy". Well, one of these days we'll be watching the news and lord behold, its Laurelhurst or Medina. These 2 communities have so much crime and they may not be shootings but they do have their share of burglarys and auto thefts. Like I said...it could be any neighborhood even mine....in Laurelhurst off of Sand Point Way.

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barnettkbfd79656 said on September 23, 2010 at 3:34 PM

For one thing this can happen anywhere and it does not sound like a drug bust. It was a mother who went a little nuts and you guys should keep your big mouths shut until you really no what happened. BTW this happened in West Seattle NOT White Center. I know because I live about a block from this shooting

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jollybutton said on September 23, 2010 at 3:24 PM

This just breaks my heart. I feel so terribly for the family. :(

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blackmammy said on September 23, 2010 at 3:18 PM

Who done shot up da place?

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yogibear said on September 23, 2010 at 3:18 PM

A shooting in White Center ? Gee, I wonder if it was drug related.

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freedomfrank said on September 23, 2010 at 3:15 PM

Come on KING5 why are you always the last with the details????

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jstskatnby520 said on September 23, 2010 at 3:13 PM

A sign of the times. It does'nt matter that it is Seattle. We have our share of proplems, but probably on a smaller scale. Look around. This is happening everywhere. Isn't sad that society is this way. No one seems to be nice anymore. Kids out of control (from subpar parenting), the city is broke, government directionless, and not working for our better interest. Sad. I believe the worst is yet to come.

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clear2copy said on September 23, 2010 at 3:08 PM

I dunno safety.. you don't hear of this happening in, say, Laurelhurst, or Medina very often..

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freedomfrank said on September 23, 2010 at 3:04 PM

The real losers are us,, more negative news from Seattle. The wild west.

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holykow said on September 23, 2010 at 3:01 PM

I dunno where you have been JeffSea...but this area is alot of things, but on the Up dn Up AIN'T one of them... 5 dead in this area in the last 24 hours...that sound like the up and up to you...car theivery up, breakins up... Not up and up hk

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safetyknight said on September 23, 2010 at 2:56 PM

It doesn't matter if it's White Center......This could have happened in any neighborhood, at anytime. It's just sad that it happened and 4 people lost their lives.

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ruba61 said on September 23, 2010 at 2:55 PM

Nothing new in this nieghborhood!! Bros and sisters shooting each other! Good riddens!

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jeffjsea30201750 said on September 23, 2010 at 2:54 PM

Actually, White Center has been on the up & up for a number of years. Not much heard from White Center till today.

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clear2copy said on September 23, 2010 at 2:51 PM

drug deal gone bad..or right, depending on how you look at it.

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