6 Shot, 1 Fatally, at Seattle Jewish Center
SEATTLE — In a burst of violence that sent terrified people running into the streets, a man armed with a handgun opened fire Friday at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, killing one woman and wounding at least five others before surrendering to police, authorities said.
Three of the wounded, all women, were in critical condition Friday night after surgery, a spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center said. The other two, including a pregnant woman, were in satisfactory condition.
Authorities did not identify the dead woman or the wounded.
An FBI official said the gunman, who was identified only as a U.S. citizen and a Muslim, apparently acted alone.
"We believe at this point it is just a lone individual acting out some kind of antagonism toward this particular organization," said David Gomez, assistant special agent in charge of counterterrorism for the FBI's Seattle office, which classified the shooting as a hate crime.
Police officers recovered a handgun and found the gunman's pickup in a nearby garage, while SWAT teams searched the federation building. Several other buildings in the Belltown area near downtown Seattle were evacuated.
The shooting came five days after the federation helped sponsor a large rally in support of Israel in its battle with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Police officers had been given a general alert for possible attacks on synagogues and mosques, officials said.
Federation Vice President Amy Wasser-Simpson, who was not in the building, said staff members told her they heard the gunman declare that he was "angry about Israel."
Police did not immediately confirm her account.
The gunman forced his way through the security door after an employee punched in her access code, police said.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the gunman walked into the nondescript building and opened fire "fairly quickly," said Seattle Police Chief R. Gil Kerlikowske.
The gunman called 911 himself, or directed an employee to, according to conflicting police accounts.
Authorities said up to 18 people had been in the building. Those who escaped injury ran out the rear exits. Most of the wounded were able to walk to rescuers.
Police officers arrived within minutes, bystanders said, and the gunman surrendered without a struggle.
"It was crazy," said Marcus Pecoras, 23, a grocery clerk who was a block and a half away from the building. "I saw some people running out of the building
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