A man waiting to cross the street in downtown Seattle was shot in the leg Saturday night, the second bystander in three days — and the third in recent weeks — to be caught in gunfire, continuing a troubling increase in the number of shootings in the city since the start of the year, reports the Seattle Times. More gunfire erupted early Sunday: In four drive-by shootings, gunmen fired more than 60 rounds, riddling four houses and several cars with bullets. Miraculously, no one was hit; a teenage girl dived to her bedroom floor to avoid being shot.
City Council President Sally Clark said the rash of gun violence was senseless and “beyond irresponsible.” She added, “The city and community will figure out how to stop this. I find myself in a hard spot being able to tell people with a straight face, ‘Hey, don’t worry.’ ” Assistant Police Chief Paul McDonagh said, “Those bullets pose a danger to everyone,” not just their intended targets. “It’s extremely dangerous to have bullets fired randomly or intentionally. They’re going to stop somewhere.”