Seattle, WA — Councilmember Tammy J. Morales issued the following statement following last night’s shooting in Mount Baker:
“My thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy, their loved ones, and the entire Mount Baker community that has seen a surge in shootings and crimes against small businesses and community spaces. When incidents of violence occur in any community, its impacts are deeply and personally felt by those who live, work, shop, and frequent the space. It is unacceptable, and our City must continue to invest in solutions that combat the root cause of violence – prioritizing housing, behavioral health services, and employment opportunities to ensure basic needs are met.
Since last fall, I have been working with community members near the Mount Baker Link station who are frustrated, understandably scared, and are looking to the City for answers. I share their frustrations with what has been occurring, and looking forward, I have reached out to the next mayoral administration to request partnership with my office – to engage with community members and for us to work together to find solutions to these issues that can only be directly addressed by the Executive branch. Only in partnership and community can we address the trauma that neighbors in Mount Baker have experienced. I am eager to work with the next Mayor to ensure the community is heard, their needs are addressed, and they can feel safe.
I have set up bi-weekly meetings in the neighborhood to help ensure the community’s concerns are continuously heard and to create more open lines of communication on how the City is addressing issues. Along with King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, we held the first of those meetings today with constituents who live and work nearby. I have also invited Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell to accompany me in all future meetings with Mount Baker residents and hope that he will join me in making the critical investments that this community has long deserved.
Lastly, through my powers as a Councilmember, I will continue working to make critical investments in public safety that will invest heavily in upstream solutions, including direct violence interruption, creating paths to good paying careers for young people, and making investments in the built environment to ensure that residents and business owners in areas like the one around this Link station are safe, thriving, and connected.”
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