SEATTLE — A Lake City homeless encampment that was the scene of a deadly double shooting two days ago is gone.
Seattle’s mayor is making good on a promise to clear it out, but will it last?
Those living in the homeless encampment at Virgil Flaim Park were cleared out early this morning.
This, two days after two men were shot and killed at the park on Northeast 123rd Street, in the middle of a quiet neighborhood.
The sweep was done by 10 a.m. The speed with which it happened came as a surprise to neighbors.
While the tents were cleared out, the pain of the last few days is still being felt here by neighbors.
“Us, community here, we’re really shaken here,” said Jeff Kim, “really hurt.”
The sweep came after two people were shot and killed inside the park earlier this week.
“And, you know, we have empathy for folks, right?” he said. “But then when you know it’s like open drug use and obviously with the violence. It’s (a) million kids that play here.”
Most kids, including Kim’s children, stopped playing here after the deadly shooting. A spokeswoman for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell says the city’s Unified Care Team visited the encampment some 30 times this year alone, offering services to those living here.
She says only two people remained there Wednesday. They, too, were offered assistance.
Within hours of the sweep, the park seemed to have almost returned to normal, though this man says he played basketball here anyway despite the encampment.
“But this is nice,” said James Brady. “I mean sad that it took that for it to come this, so. They shouldn’t be here anyway. There’s a playground right there. You know, it’s crazy.”
KIRO 7 found a man who says he was living at the encampment. He says he was offered services but nothing he wanted to accept. Where he says he will spend the night is just a five minute walk away.
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