Neighbors on edge, watchful after U District armed robberies
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SEATTLE - Neighbors are nervous and alarmed after a series of armed robberies carried out against people walking home near the University of Washington campus.
Residents in Seattle's University District say they're used to weekend displays of drunkenness and partying - but nothing like the recent series of armed attacks that have been happening.
According to Seattle police, three armed robberies happened within 30 minutes and just a few blocks of each other early Saturday morning. The victims - some of them believed to be drunk - were walking near the University of Washington campus.
And even if the victims were intoxicated, neighbors say that's no excuse for attacking and robbing them.
Resident Bill Quinn regularly cleans up his neighborhood the morning after a party night. He's lived in the University District for 36 years and says he's used to loud parties - but not violent attacks.
"It bothers me a lot. That's unusal. We've had crimes in the neighborhood, crimes of opportunity," he says.
Drunk victims who may have let their guard down appear to have been targets for their attackers. Seattle police say one or more suspects robbed three different victims at gunpoint - then whacked them on the back of the head with the gun.
"I'm absolutely concerned - concerned about the weapons they're using, too," says neighbor Meagan Rothschild. "Accessibility of guns is concerning to me."
She says it makes no difference that police say some of the victims were intoxicated.
"I don't care how anybody would want to justify it," says Rothschild. "There's no justifcation for violence, period."
Some of the victims could not provide much suspect information about Saturday's early morning attacks.
Irene Malloch, who also lives in the area, says she has never seen any violence there. Still - she takes precautions.
"I have pepper spray," she says.
She gets UW police alerts and tries to avoid walking alone at night - being careful not to become prey.
"No matter what the situation, it's a crime of violence. It's not OK," says Rothschild.
Police have made no arrests. The victims have given different vehicle and suspect descriptions.
Residents in Seattle's University District say they're used to weekend displays of drunkenness and partying - but nothing like the recent series of armed attacks that have been happening.
According to Seattle police, three armed robberies happened within 30 minutes and just a few blocks of each other early Saturday morning. The victims - some of them believed to be drunk - were walking near the University of Washington campus.
And even if the victims were intoxicated, neighbors say that's no excuse for attacking and robbing them.
Resident Bill Quinn regularly cleans up his neighborhood the morning after a party night. He's lived in the University District for 36 years and says he's used to loud parties - but not violent attacks.
"It bothers me a lot. That's unusal. We've had crimes in the neighborhood, crimes of opportunity," he says.
Drunk victims who may have let their guard down appear to have been targets for their attackers. Seattle police say one or more suspects robbed three different victims at gunpoint - then whacked them on the back of the head with the gun.
"I'm absolutely concerned - concerned about the weapons they're using, too," says neighbor Meagan Rothschild. "Accessibility of guns is concerning to me."
She says it makes no difference that police say some of the victims were intoxicated.
"I don't care how anybody would want to justify it," says Rothschild. "There's no justifcation for violence, period."
Some of the victims could not provide much suspect information about Saturday's early morning attacks.
Irene Malloch, who also lives in the area, says she has never seen any violence there. Still - she takes precautions.
"I have pepper spray," she says.
She gets UW police alerts and tries to avoid walking alone at night - being careful not to become prey.
"No matter what the situation, it's a crime of violence. It's not OK," says Rothschild.
Police have made no arrests. The victims have given different vehicle and suspect descriptions.
"Civil governments, in their first institutions, are voluntary associations for mutual defence. To obtain the desired end, it is absolutely necessary that each individual should conceive himself obligated to submit his private opinion and actions to the judgement of the greater number of his associates"
--Gibbon
The U District has been a slum haven since before the sixties so whats new about robbery drunk people after dark..
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@james dandey WTF are you on, dude?
I guess the idea of the UW students not getting so drunk and allowing themselves to become victims is out of the question. But like most Seattle liberals, its all about blaming the gun..................funny how that works....
it seems street thugs are mainly targeting drunk people these days. not just in belltown and pioneer square but also u-district. i see that criminals are getting smarter and smarter, and someday, they'll actually get jobs and start working for money instead of robbing defenseless people at night. just kidding! i seriously doubt that...
"I'm absolutely concerned - concerned about the weapons they're using, too," says neighbor Meagan Rothschild. "Accessibility of guns is concerning to me."         This is irrelevant. I worked patrol in the U district for over 11 years. Street robberies were/are common, with a variety of weapons to include fists, feet, clubs, tasers, pepper spray, etc. The problem is the street kids, commonly known as "Ave Rats", and thugs from other areas of the city showing up to prey on college kids that are easy targets because they go out and party and get plastered and make themselves to be easy targets. The U district is a well known hunting ground for predators in Seattle. My advice? Be responsible for your own personal security. Situational awareness.  These predators will never go away, so, you have to be an adult and have some accountability for your own safety.
 @ButtercupSprinkles Yeah, but I wanna blame easy access to guns for the problems.  Now I'm going to sound mean, and it is to say, but does that woman blame easy access to forks for being overweight?
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Street robberies of drunken, weak-looking, and the fact it's well-known that students are supposed to be unarmed on UW campus (although it's easy enough to hide a compact handgun, knife, etc., undetected, and some students do conceal carry weapons), but this stuff has been happening for years and years. Â It's nothing new. Â Folks are always surprised violent crime occurs in Seattle as if it's a utopia.
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Folks walking around drunk, alone, in an urban environment are often clueless marks.
 @KennyGambler  @ButtercupSprinkles Â
It's McDonald's fault for making their food inexpensive and somewhat delicious. And it's also the governments fault for letting me eat so much...I thought big brothers are supposed to be there for you all the time?
From the Seattle "Police Blotter" Site:
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"Three victims were robbed at gunpoint and struck with the gun in the back of the head. This morning between 1:30- 2:00, on three separate calls at three separate locations (5200 block of 15 NE, 5000 block of 22 AV NE, 5600 block of University Way) the three victims were robbed at gun point and struck with the gun in the back of the head.
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The suspects were described as two black males in their 20âs on two of the calls and on the third call the suspect was described as a white male. Â Some of the victims were intoxicated and not able to provide much information.Â
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The assaults happened within 15-20 minutes of each other.
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Two possibly involved vehicles were described as a green gallant and a dark 4-dr Toyota. It is unknown if the three incidence are connected"
There's an easy cure for this problem folks. Get a C.P.L, buy a gun, LEARN how to use it, train with it, and then.....eliminate this issue should YOU become the "victim." "An Armed Society is a Polite Society" -- Robert A. Heinlein.
 @LoudNoises You forgot to mention save up a large bankroll to hire attorneys to defend yourself in court when the family of the dead sue you. Regardless of how despicable the thugs are, there is a good chance you'll be sued. Take a class about the true costs before becoming an amateur Dirty Harry.  If you are out drinking, you can't carry in a bar so you'll have to find another option. Maybe a drop wallet that contains nothing but junk, these thugs will never know until you're long gone. That said, many neighborhoods have been dealing with these types of robberies for a long time and rarely, if ever, does it get press coverage.Â
 @McLugnut "Regardless of how despicable the thugs are, there is a good chance you'll be sued."
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If it is a justifiable shooting as per the Washington State guidelines there will be no lawsuit. That is just baloney.
 @LockesChild  @McLugnut Meh.  The "you'll get the bah-jesus sued out of you" argument is weak. Â
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Even if self-defense was illegal:
Going to court after shooting someone in defense >>>> getting shot and badly hurt >>>>>>>>> getting killed
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Logic: Â it's not that hard.
@LoudNoises  Unless it's a drunk and armed society. Then it's scary. lol
 @achoo2 heh. Good one.
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And not real likely to happen. After all, one cannot carry into a bar or tavern.
The U District has had this type of thing before regardless of how the media seeks to sensationalize or detach itself from recent years incidents. The suspects have ranged from cars full of high school students robbing UW students to wannabees coming from all points of the compass in the middle of the night to three Fort Lewis soldiers who were all sent to prison for committing violent street robbery with a gun.Â
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Students need to walk in groups late at night and not alone and drunk, and Peter Holmes needs to prosecute repeat, problem visitors with existing ordinances that allow the city to trespass them from areas they go to cause trouble.Â
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I can't help but cringe at seeing all the dashes being used incorrectly in this article.Â
I would appreciate more accurate locations KOMO.
The last paragraphs say it all, that predators look for easy prey. Students are easy "marks" to violent criminals.
Seems like the reporters are tossing out the "but they were drunk" thing just to get controversy going in this article. Don't we have enough tension concerning SPD without media feeding the fire?
 @achoo2 The U District as a community does not have "tension" with SPD, no matter how many people get their "facts" only from the media.Â