Seattle Police and Seattle Fire were called to the parking lot at Garfield High School late Thursday afternoon after a shootout in front of the school.

According to emergency radio updates and Seattle Fire, a 19-year-old was reported shot in the leg and police were looking for suspects seen in a vehicle leaving the area.

The shooting was first reported around 4:40 PM about an hour after the final bell of the school day on the still busy 23rd Ave campus.

Seattle Fire says the teen was transported by paramedics to Harborview in stable condition.

Police investigating the scene found bullet damage to the windows of the nearby Garfield Teen Life Center and multiple shell casings found in the parking lot.

Students and staff on campus were reported sheltering in place during the incident.

UPDATE: SPD has posted a brief on the shooting and is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.

UPDATE x2: Garfield principal Tarance Hart said in a letter to families that the person who was shot was not a student at the school and blamed the incident on “a group of teens” in the school parking lot in front of the Teen Life Center. “Shots were fired from a car, which then left,” the principal writes. Friday, the Garfield campus “will follow our standard schedule and operations,” Hart said. The full letter is below.

Dear Garfield families and staff,

I want to share with you an incident that happened in our parking lot after school today.

• A group of teens were in our school parking lot in front of the Teen Life Center. Shots were fired from a car, which then left.
• Seattle Police Department (SPD) and emergency services were quickly on the scene. One person, who was not a student, was transported to a local hospital.
• SPS Safety and Security staff are on site and working with SPD.
• At the time of the incident, Garfield track and softball practices were underway. We quickly moved to a shelter in place. Staff moved all students who were on campus inside. The shelter-in-place was lifted after SPD indicated that it was safe to do so.
• Students’ safety is our top priority. Your student(s) may be experiencing feelings of fear, anxiety, and anger about this incident. Support will be available to any student or staff member who needs it.
• Tomorrow, our school will follow our standard schedule and operations. We will have additional security and staff on campus. Our administrative team and security staff will greet students as they arrive.
• We encourage you to talk to your students about the importance of reporting any threats they hear or see. Students are encouraged to seek out a trusted adult at school to talk to or ask questions.
• Please remember, you can use the SPS Safe Schools Hotline 206-252-0510 to report any threats to SPS schools. This phone number is managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• We are committed to working together as a community to ensure the safety of all our students and staff.
• Despite our limited resources, we are open to any suggestions or recommendations that will help to improve the safety of our campus.

I am including some resource links that may be useful in talking to your students about safety.

• SPS Safety and Security Personal Safety for Children and Families
• Seattle Police Department Personal Safety Tips

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or information regarding this incident.

Sincerely,

Tarance Hart, Ph.D.
Principal
Garfield High School

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