Flowers and candles left Thursday night at Cafe Racer (Image: Marlow Harris)

Marlow Harris is a Capitol Hill resident, a frequent CHS contributor and a curator of exceptionally unusual art. Her OBAMA — Official Bad Art Museum of Art — has called Cafe Racer home. Her 14-year-old son Sam graduates from St. Joe’s today — congrats, Sam. With his family’s connection to the cafe, Sam was moved to talk about his take on Wednesday’s tragedies with a post to Reddit that many in the city are adding to as a kind of online shrine. It’s one of many ways to mark what happened and deal with it. We asked Marlow for permission to share his post publicly on CHS. Sam’s essay written the night of the shootings and a local vigil planned for Friday on Capitol Hill are below.

I am fourteen and I have never experienced death of a loved one, other than my uncle. I was so close with everyone who was injured, it’s so hard to believe. I would have never expected this, the day before my graduation of 8th grade, a shooting at Cafe Racer, our favorite place to eat and enjoy ourselves. It seemed like such a peaceful place, a place that was so comforting and reliable, we went there anytime it was a special occasion and we knew everybody there. My parents even established an art show there, the walls were covered with bad art. Our close family friends were shot by a man named Ian Lee Stawicki who later shot himself in the head while surrounded by cops, he is alive and currently at the hospital. He went to Cafe Racer and shot five people many times. Two were immediately dead, two great guys who are in a great band, Drew, better known as Shmootzi, and Joe from God’s Favorite Beefcake. They were both great men, I grew up listening to them and watching them preform, every time I saw drew we caught up and hugged. A third person died later in the hospital, she is unidentified, but we are worried it’s drew’s wife. Two others were wounded, one identified, and another man who is a chef named Leonard Meuse who was truly a great guy, he served us drinks every time we went to the cafe, he was shot three times, once in the jaw, and twice under the arm, they are both in critical condition. Ian, the shooter is suspected to be the same person who later shot a woman while hijacking an SUV on First Hill. I think it’s sickening, I couldn’t even imagine why someone would do this, to kill someone, without motive, even with motive, life is the most precious thing anywhere. Our family is afraid that the peace of Cafe Racer is destroyed, that we may never be able to enjoy Cafe Racer again, it would be too hard with the memories. We are afraid it may be shut down, and we have put so much into the cafe and all the people there. This week is a crazy, unbearable week, I am leaving St. Joseph’s, my school of 11 years, I will never forget my time there, tomorrow is my graduation and last day. This has been a day of ups and downs, truly. I can’t type any more.

-Sam D.

You can add more to the thread, here.

Friday night, you might consider joining the community for a vigil at St. Mark’s:

Service of Vigil and Prayer for Victims of Violence offered by Saint Mark’s Cathedral 

Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral,

1245 Tenth Avenue East (Capitol Hill)

Seattle, WA 98102

206.323.0300, www.saintmarks.org, [email protected]

[Seattle, WA] Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral invites the community to a Service of Vigil and Prayer for Victims of Violence. In response to the tragic events of Wednesday, May 30, and the increase in violence in recent weeks, Saint Mark’s is offering the entire community an opportunity to gather at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1 for a quiet service of prayers, reflection, and readings. The service is open to all.

“The recent shootings in Seattle remind the Church, as the Body of Christ, of our need to sow peace in the hearts of all people,” said the Rev. Canon Lance Ousley, Priest-in-Charge. “Saint Mark’s Cathedral is here to offer a comforting space in our city, so that we all may be present with one another in these times of loss, grief and questioning. This Cathedral community stands with all of Greater Seattle as we seek healing, wholeness and solace from the violence that has pierced our world.”

The investigation into the shootings that left five dead continues. Suspect Ian Stawicki has also died after shooting himself as police closed in on him on a West Seattle street. SPD has scheduled an afternoon briefing Thursday to release the latest details in the case.