Man Arrested After Firing Gun in Seattle Liquor Store
Seattle police arrested a man who allegedly fired a handgun inside a local liquor store. According to police reports, the suspect was partially unclothed during the incident. No injuries were reported, and an investigation is currently underway.
- The incident occurred around 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026, at a liquor store located in the 9200 block of Rainier Avenue South in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. - Prior to the shooting, the 49-year-old suspect had been opening bottles of alcohol from the shelves and drinking them without paying. - The man allegedly fired the handgun directly at a store clerk, narrowly missing him, after the employee confronted him. - Upon arresting the suspect, police recovered the handgun, marijuana, and a modified cigarette that they believe was filled with PCP. - The suspect was arrested by a tactical team of officers without incident while he was still inside the store. - He was booked into the King County Jail on a charge of felony assault. - Under Washington state law, robbery in the first degree, which can include being armed with a deadly weapon, is a Class A felony punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $50,000 fine. - Seattle's violent crime rate in 2024 was 775 incidents per 100,000 residents, a figure higher than the average for most large U.S. metropolitan areas.
