Seattle Mayor to Shut Down CHAZ After Shootings Leave One Dead, Two Wounded

Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) or CHOP
Derek Simeone/Flickr

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) indicates the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) will be shut down following the shootings that occurred on Saturday and Sunday of Father’s Day Weekend.

Breitbart News reported that people were shot, one fatally, inside CHAZ early Saturday morning.

The Associated Press reported that the deceased person was 19 years old and the wounded person is in critical condition. The Guardian quoted police union president Mike Solan noting that he feared officers were in danger simply by responding to the shootings.

He said, “The community is at grave risk and the men and the women that provide that public safety service, they’re at grave risk as well.”

Another shooting occurred in CHAZ on Sunday night, leaving a 17-year-old with a gunshot wound to his arm.

Mayor Durkan reacted to the shootings by noting that CHAZ has grown less safe instead of safer over time and the effect on the surrounding community has not been positive.

She said, “The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents. The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased.”

Durkan said she will announce her plans for CHAZ on Monday.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkinsa weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

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