Shootings Up In Seattle Area

SEATTLE (AP) – Washington state says shooting deaths and injuries increased in the first nine months of the year in King County.

Prosecutors attribute the violence in part to uncertainty and anxiety caused by the pandemic.

The Seattle Times reported that the King County prosecuting attorney’s office released a report saying there were 58 homicides and 198 assaults with firearms between January and September.

The department has been collecting data primarily from eight police agencies since 2017 for its Shots Fired project, a report documenting the rise in gun violence.

Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said the report reaffirms beliefs that there has been in increase in violence.