- Messages
- 205
- Reactions
- 12
by KING 5 News
NWCN.com
Posted on July 17, 2010 at 9:56 PM
Updated today at 11:30 AM
Related:
11 p.m. live report on the shootings
KCSO Sgt. Urquhart interview from cell phone video
KCSO Sgt. Urquhard phone interview on fatal shootings
Gallery
.See all 2 photos »
ISSAQUAH, Wash. - Two people were killed Saturday night in a multiple shooting at Lake Sammamish State Park.
According to the Washington State Patrol, dispatchers received a call from a park ranger about multiple shots fired in the park at around 9 p.m. According to the Patrol, shots could be heard during the park ranger's call.
The King County Sheriff's Department says the shootings broke out near the beach area. Sergeant John Urquhart said violence erupted as a group of people were having a party in the park, but he added that authorities still don't know what led the shooting.
As police flooded the scene, they found parkgoers hiding in park buildings to get away from the gunfire.
Urquhart said two were killed and four were hurt. He said all of the victims were male. Three of the wounded were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, a fourth was taken to Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue.
Early this morning, one man was in serious condition and the other two were in satisfactory condition, Harborview's nursing supervisor told the Seattle Times.
Urquhart said he is not sure if the dead were involved in the shootings or were bystanders.
"Our victims, we don't know if they're innocent victims, people caught in a crossfire, suspects, other shooters, we don't know," Urquhart said. "It's quite possible there was more than one shooter."
Deputies said a lot of weapons were found. A gun was found near the shooting scene and a car with several guns inside was stopped inside the park.
Urquhart said several people are in custody. He says deputies are not searching for any more suspects. Six to ten people were being questioned by deputies.
Dawn Hilliker said she and her two teenage sons spent the day at the park, celebrating a friend's high school graduation. They were packing up their car to leave when they heard several loud bangs from 250 yards away.
"There was one man that ran from the other side of the park where the shots fired, down by our park and he was running into the bushes and the cops were chasing him. I think they caught him," said Riley Hilliker. "There were several people that were running around that they found and arrested."
"I saw three guys get arrested, and I seen cops running around everywhere," said Austin Hilliker.
The family waited two hours to leave the park, as police stopped every vehicle on the way out, Dawn Hilliker said.
The Sheriff's Office will keep the park closed for most, if not all of the day today, said Urquhart. Detectives will be at the park collecting evidence and diagramming the crime scene. They believe several guns were stashed in the park immediately after the shooting. Urquhart says it is imperative that detectives recover any weapons left behind.
The Patrol said it believes the shootings were gang related but that has not been confirmed by the King County Sheriff's Office, which is the lead investigating agency.
Hilliker said she taught her sons to stay away from places where they might encounter gang violence.
"You don't think coming to a graduation celebration at a state park that you would enter into that kind of environment. We came here to celebrate and ended up a part of chaos."
Owen Lei / KING 5 News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
NWCN.com
Posted on July 17, 2010 at 9:56 PM
Updated today at 11:30 AM
Related:
11 p.m. live report on the shootings
KCSO Sgt. Urquhart interview from cell phone video
KCSO Sgt. Urquhard phone interview on fatal shootings
Gallery
.See all 2 photos »
ISSAQUAH, Wash. - Two people were killed Saturday night in a multiple shooting at Lake Sammamish State Park.
According to the Washington State Patrol, dispatchers received a call from a park ranger about multiple shots fired in the park at around 9 p.m. According to the Patrol, shots could be heard during the park ranger's call.
The King County Sheriff's Department says the shootings broke out near the beach area. Sergeant John Urquhart said violence erupted as a group of people were having a party in the park, but he added that authorities still don't know what led the shooting.
As police flooded the scene, they found parkgoers hiding in park buildings to get away from the gunfire.
Urquhart said two were killed and four were hurt. He said all of the victims were male. Three of the wounded were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, a fourth was taken to Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue.
Early this morning, one man was in serious condition and the other two were in satisfactory condition, Harborview's nursing supervisor told the Seattle Times.
Urquhart said he is not sure if the dead were involved in the shootings or were bystanders.
"Our victims, we don't know if they're innocent victims, people caught in a crossfire, suspects, other shooters, we don't know," Urquhart said. "It's quite possible there was more than one shooter."
Deputies said a lot of weapons were found. A gun was found near the shooting scene and a car with several guns inside was stopped inside the park.
Urquhart said several people are in custody. He says deputies are not searching for any more suspects. Six to ten people were being questioned by deputies.
Dawn Hilliker said she and her two teenage sons spent the day at the park, celebrating a friend's high school graduation. They were packing up their car to leave when they heard several loud bangs from 250 yards away.
"There was one man that ran from the other side of the park where the shots fired, down by our park and he was running into the bushes and the cops were chasing him. I think they caught him," said Riley Hilliker. "There were several people that were running around that they found and arrested."
"I saw three guys get arrested, and I seen cops running around everywhere," said Austin Hilliker.
The family waited two hours to leave the park, as police stopped every vehicle on the way out, Dawn Hilliker said.
The Sheriff's Office will keep the park closed for most, if not all of the day today, said Urquhart. Detectives will be at the park collecting evidence and diagramming the crime scene. They believe several guns were stashed in the park immediately after the shooting. Urquhart says it is imperative that detectives recover any weapons left behind.
The Patrol said it believes the shootings were gang related but that has not been confirmed by the King County Sheriff's Office, which is the lead investigating agency.
Hilliker said she taught her sons to stay away from places where they might encounter gang violence.
"You don't think coming to a graduation celebration at a state park that you would enter into that kind of environment. We came here to celebrate and ended up a part of chaos."
Owen Lei / KING 5 News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.