Security guard shot dead in drive-by at Seattle strip club, car later set ablaze

A security guard was killed and a woman wounded in a drive-by shooting outside Kittens Cabaret in south Seattle. The suspected vehicle was found on fire in nearby Georgetown shortly after.

Drive-by at south Seattle adult club leaves guard dead, woman hospitalised

A security guard was shot and killed and a 27-year-old woman was wounded in a drive-by shooting outside a strip club in south Seattle just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, komonews.com reports.

Officers responded to multiple 911 calls about a shooting outside Kittens Cabaret, an adult entertainment venue in the 5800 block of Fourth Avenue South. They arrived to find the man — aged 36 and employed as security at the club — dead at the scene. The woman had sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition; Seattle Fire Department medics assisted on site before the transfer.

Investigators said surveillance footage and additional evidence show a car entered the club's parking lot, after which the driver fired multiple rounds from inside the vehicle before leaving. Less than an hour after the shooting, police located the suspected car fully engulfed in flames in the neighbouring Georgetown district.

The burning vehicle drew immediate attention from local residents. Marisa Figueroa, who owns Bloom Bistro and Grocery near where the car was found, told KOMO News that neighbours were shaken by the scene. "We had a lot of people coming into the bagel shop, trying to figure out what happened," she said.

Figueroa added that violent incidents are not new to the area. Residents have repeatedly dealt with shootings and break-ins, she said, and Sunday's events have renewed calls from the community for increased police patrols and faster response times in Georgetown. "I know [Seattle police] are busy but there's violence down here, and there's only so much we can do as a community to help each other out," she told the outlet.

Detectives from the Seattle Police Department's Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Investigation unit are leading the inquiry. Anyone with information, including video footage or details about a suspect, is asked to contact the Seattle Police Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.

Source: Google News GY — Georgetown