On Feb. 21, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn sent a letter to the Chief of the Washington State Patrol (WSP) asking for more information on the surge of gunfire incidents on freeways and highways in King County.
The letter, addressed to WSP Chief John R. Batiste, comes in wake of a Feb. 19 drive-by shooting that occurred on I-5 in Tukwila that left a victim in critical condition — the latest in what Dunn calls “a surge in gunfire incidents along highways and freeways in King County in recent months.”
Dunn’s letter also mentioned the Feb. 16 roadway shooting that left a WSP trooper injured only days before.
“As the Councilmember representing the communities of District 9 in southeast King County, I am concerned that the majority of these freeway and highway shootings are occurring in the southern end of the county, including on Highway 164 near Enumclaw and Highway 18 in Auburn,” Dunn wrote in the letter. “Though news reports have presented conflicting information about the exact number of freeway and highway gunfire incidents that have occurred so far in 2024, the number seems to be over a dozen. This excessive figure is gravely alarming.”
Specifically, Dunn requested more information on the number and nature of these freeway and highway shootings, the status of the investigations, and what is being done in response to them.
“I would like to know whether these are isolated incidents with individual perpetrators or connected incidents with repeat perpetuators,” he wrote.
Dunn also asked for opportunities to partner with WSP to address the rise in gun violence.
“As an elected official, I believe the public has a right to know all the details that WSP has to offer regarding these freeway shootings and deserves reassurance that these incidents are being taken seriously,” Dunn wrote. “The seemingly random nature of these violent acts sparks a particular fear that anyone — a mother driving her kids to school or a dad commuting to work — might be next.”
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