$1 million bail set for woman accused in workplace shooting
SEATTLE - Bail was set at $1 million for a woman accused of shooting a co-worker Friday afternoon at a Seattle Parks Department maintenance facility near Green Lake.
Carolyn Joyce "Zoom" Piksa, 46, waived her right to appear in court at the Saturday bail hearing in King County Superior Court. The judge found probable cause existed to hold her for investigation of first-degree assault.
According to court documents released Saturday, police responded Friday at about 2 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from a man who said he had just been shot by a co-worker.
Rushing to the scene, the Densmore Park and Recreation Office at 8061 Densmore Ave. N., officers and medics found the 65-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The victim, identified as Bill Keller, 65, told police he had been shot by Piksa, according to court documents. He said Piksa had fled the scene after the shooting.
Keller was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition. His condition was upgraded to serious Saturday after he underwent surgery.
A short time after the shooting, police learned that Piksa had gone to the Bitter Lake Community Center at 13035 Linden Ave. N. and confronted a woman there. Piksa brandished a gun at her, but the woman was able to get away unharmed, court papers said.
Piksa then stole the woman's purse and fled the scene. A regionwide hunt was launched for Piksa, who was considered armed and dangerous.
In the meantime, several schools in the vicinity of Bitter Lake were placed on lockdown and all Seattle community centers were shut down during the hunt because it was thought Piksa might have keys to them in her possession.
Piksa was later found and arrested at her home at about 4:50 p.m. Friday. Seattle police were able to track her there using her cellphone's signal.
She was taken to police headquarters and admitted shooting Keller and stealing the woman's purse, court documents say. She remains in the King County jail for investigation of assault.
Piksa worked as an assistant coordinator for community centers and has been a Parks and Recreation Department employee since 1986. Keller is the executive director of the Associated Recreation Council, a nonprofit group that works with Seattle Parks Department.
The motive for the shooting has not been determined.
Piksa is due back in court on Wednesday, which is the day prosecutors will decide what charges to pursue.
Carolyn Joyce "Zoom" Piksa, 46, waived her right to appear in court at the Saturday bail hearing in King County Superior Court. The judge found probable cause existed to hold her for investigation of first-degree assault.
According to court documents released Saturday, police responded Friday at about 2 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from a man who said he had just been shot by a co-worker.
Rushing to the scene, the Densmore Park and Recreation Office at 8061 Densmore Ave. N., officers and medics found the 65-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The victim, identified as Bill Keller, 65, told police he had been shot by Piksa, according to court documents. He said Piksa had fled the scene after the shooting.
Keller was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition. His condition was upgraded to serious Saturday after he underwent surgery.
A short time after the shooting, police learned that Piksa had gone to the Bitter Lake Community Center at 13035 Linden Ave. N. and confronted a woman there. Piksa brandished a gun at her, but the woman was able to get away unharmed, court papers said.
Piksa then stole the woman's purse and fled the scene. A regionwide hunt was launched for Piksa, who was considered armed and dangerous.
In the meantime, several schools in the vicinity of Bitter Lake were placed on lockdown and all Seattle community centers were shut down during the hunt because it was thought Piksa might have keys to them in her possession.
Piksa was later found and arrested at her home at about 4:50 p.m. Friday. Seattle police were able to track her there using her cellphone's signal.
She was taken to police headquarters and admitted shooting Keller and stealing the woman's purse, court documents say. She remains in the King County jail for investigation of assault.
Piksa worked as an assistant coordinator for community centers and has been a Parks and Recreation Department employee since 1986. Keller is the executive director of the Associated Recreation Council, a nonprofit group that works with Seattle Parks Department.
The motive for the shooting has not been determined.
Piksa is due back in court on Wednesday, which is the day prosecutors will decide what charges to pursue.
Condolences to Mr. Keller, the staff who witnessed this and Ms. Piksa's family; a tradegic day for everyone involved.
Imagine for a moment if the accused were a person of color. Comments from KOMO viewers would have generated 10 times the response with a scarey portion calling for her lynching. What a funny community we are, willing ready to exploit our biases via the keyboard..
@BuddyHolly Demonstrates the skewed values some in our community have.
@Pollywannacracker I agree and have long said we need this conversation.Â
@BuddyHolly I think your a little delusional if not darn right paranoid. There just is not much of a story here so what can people comment on?
@Grumpaa Oops, I must have hit a nerve. More to come...hang on
I wonder what makes her case so important verses any other daily shootings in King County? Because the mayor knew the victim and their both white middle class...
@Windowseat I see shootings reported daily here that have no correlation to this case.  You're grasping at straws. For what reason, I can't figure out.
@Windowseat You might be interested in this as a concept. One lady back east got fed up with the imbalance in coverage:
http://homicidewatch.org/
@Windowseat You are on the right track in questioning the media. Whether there is a racial dynamic or not it is still an important question about how events are portrayed and how much coverage they get.Â
This article should mention something about a motive, even if there isn't one yet.Â
@lakeview "even if there isn't one yet"Â effing genius.
OMG! What? Komo's actually NOT posting a picture of a woman who is accused of committing a crime! Go figure. Welcome to Chick Seattle.
@Pegasus Her picture is there. It is also on the other article about her. There is more than one picture on this article.
How about a new picture? This one is said to be 5 years old and she now has short hair. Booking picture?????
@Robert Miller Unless she was wearing a wig during her arrest, she doesn't have short hair.
@Robert Miller Employee of the month picture??
1 million isn't enough. Â She shot a person in cold blood & eluded the police causing an intense search that lasted for hours. Â
@Wendy R. She didn't elude police, she went back home and gave up when they arrived. This is not the usually run-of-the-mill criminal who is dragging down our community.
"....Carolyn Piksa was taken into custody at her Burien home..."
"HA - They'll never find me here!"Â
A million bucks bail? Let's hope she doesn't have relatives in China
@Throbbinhood I wonder if that kid has taken off yet...
The state will probably find some way to blame an ex some how and arrest him.