Police say Sunday morning’s shooting that left one victim injured on Capitol Hill was a reported act of self defense during a street robbery at the Cal Anderson basketball court.

According to the Seattle Police report on the just before 5 AM incident, the shooter told police he fired several rounds “into the ground to scare the robbers away” as he was being mugged in a strong-arm robbery attempt.

“The victim was grabbed from behind and choked while others rifled through his pockets stealing a significant amount of cash,” the SPD report on the incident reads.

CHS reported on the early Sunday morning shooting incident and reports of possible multiple firearms involved in an exchange of gunfire on a weekend of deadly gun violence in Seattle. The SPD brief on the Capitol Hill incident does not address evidence of any additional firearms and shooters involved in the reported robbery attempt. Police say the shooter told them he was in the area playing basketball when the robbery occurred.

CHS reported a gunshot wound victim was dropped off by a private vehicle at First Hill’s Swedish Hospital just after 5 AM but it was not immediately clear where in the city that victim had been shot. SPD later confirmed the man taken to Swedish was hit in the Capitol Hill incident and said he “had been shot at the park after playing in a basketball game.” We’ll have to check with SPD to find out if they confused the report or if both the shooter and the person shot had been playing basketball before the robbery and gunfire.

UPDATE: A spokesperson for SPD provided additional information that may help clear up what went down on the Cal Anderson court. Preliminary investigation indicates that the shooter and others involved in the incident were competing and wagering on the game when a dispute arose over payment. Police say the shooting is being investigated and the shooter may be cited depending on whether the act is determined to be an act of self defense. SPD has confiscated the gun pending the outcome of the investigation.

With five people dead and more wounded in shootings across the city over the weekend, Seattle officials focused on safety programs and the Seattle Police Department budget as they addressed the crisis.

PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.