Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood has been the recent target of a series of home invasions, with one incident escalating to an exchange of gunfire between the homeowner and the intruders. The first reported incident occurred on December 18, near the intersection of Beacon Avenue and South Graham Street. A man returning home from a casino was confronted by several armed men who forced him to unlock his home. The assailants then proceeded to ransack the residence before making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Two days following the initial incident, South Precinct officers were called to the scene of another attempted home invasion near Beacon Avenue South and South Ferdinand Street. The homeowner reported that three men had tried to force entry into his home but were unsuccessful and subsequently fled the scene.
However, the following morning, the same residence was targeted again. This time, four men attempted to break down the front door using a sledgehammer. Awoken by the commotion, the homeowner armed himself with a rifle and fired at the intruders. The suspects returned fire before retreating into their vehicles and fleeing the scene. The homeowner was unharmed, and it remains unclear whether any of the suspects were injured during the exchange. As of Wednesday, no arrests have been made in connection with these incidents.
In a surprising twist, a Seattle homeowner managed to thwart a robbery attempt by firing a rifle at the would-be burglars. The Seattle Police Department has noted similarities between these incidents and a series of robberies that occurred earlier in the year. In those cases, all victims were of Asian descent, and the suspects were all black males.
While the suspects involved in the earlier series of robberies have since been apprehended and are currently incarcerated, investigators are expressing concern over the recent surge in similar cases. The Seattle Police Department continues to investigate these incidents and is urging residents to remain vigilant.