One dead in shooting at Jewish center
Suspect in custody; three women in critical condition
Friday, July 28, 2006; Posted: 10:39 p.m. EDT (02:39 GMT)
(CNN) -- One person was killed and five others were wounded, three critically, in a shooting at the Jewish Federation in downtown Seattle, Washington, police said.
Police have detained a suspect who is of Pakistani descent, said a law enforcement official.
Authorities do not believe the suspect was affiliated with any radical political or religious group, said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Gomez.
"We believe, at this point, it's just a lone individual acting out some kind of antagonism toward this particular organization," he said.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is helping with the investigation because the attack involved a religious organization, police said.
Several witnesses told The Associated Press they saw a man shoot a woman on a sidewalk near the building.
One witness on the first floor of the building told the AP she heard shots and crashing sounds on the second floor.
Five victims, all women, were taken to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center, according to a media line at the hospital. Three victims required surgery for injuries to the knee, groin, abdomen or arm. The hospital listed them in critical condition.
The other two injured women were in satisfactory condition, according to Harborview Medical Center. The hospital said one of the two women is five months pregnant.
While responding Friday afternoon to reports of shots fired being fired at the center, police received a call from a man identifying himself as the gunman who said he was holding people hostage, Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said. An officer "was able to talk him out" of the building, he said.
The suspect "was confronted by officers and peacefully gave up," said Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz.
A vehicle belonging to the suspect was found nearby, and bomb and explosives technicians examined it "to make sure it's safe," Metz said.
Police do not suspect there were other gunmen, but they are investigating whether accomplices were involved, Metz said. More than 10 people were thought to be in the building at the time of the shootings.
Seattle police issued a bulletin Thursday asking officers to closely monitor synagogues and Jewish organizations, Metz said.
The Anti-Defamation League has been warning Jewish institutions to make sure they have ample security because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, said Robert Jacobs, Pacific Northwest regional director for the league.
If an institution cannot provide adequate security, it might be better for Jews "not to congregate in one location that might be an obvious site," he said. |
