Violent crime at Southcenter mall is still near record levels following the shooting

TUKWILA, Washington – Following Friday’s shooting at Southcenter Mall, KOMO News uncovered numbers that suggest violent crime in the mall and surrounding area is still near a record high.

On Friday afternoon, several shoppers took cover as more than a dozen shots were fired in the parking lot immediately outside the Nordstrom store.

Tukwila police said based on their initial investigation, the incident appears to be a targeted act of violence between two parties. Officers added that both parties involved fled the scene immediately after the incident. They also noted that no injuries were reported.

RELATED | Shots were fired in the parking lot of the Southcenter shopping center; No injuries were reported

Although there were few casualties, shoppers who witnessed the shooting told KOMO News they were outraged by the level of violence in broad daylight.

“It’s a public place where families and everyone come together, so I don’t know why they would risk anyone’s life,” said shopper Sade Soliai.

Given that the shooting occurred in the middle of the day, KOMO News examined the magnitude of the violent crime problem in the mall and surrounding area.

Using the Tukwila Police Department’s crime mapping website, KOMO News uncovered numbers that suggest violent crime in the mall is still worse than in previous times, especially compared to pre-Covid years.

Data shows that year to date, from January 1, 2024 to September 28, 2024, there have been 30 violent crimes at the mall and within a half-mile radius of the mall property.

According to the figures, this is a slight decrease compared to 33 violent crimes in the same area in the corresponding period in 2023.

Nevertheless, KOMO News learned that the numbers for the current year 2024 are still higher than between 2019 and 2022.

During the same period of these years, there were 18 violent crimes in 2019, 15 cases in 2020, 27 cases in 2021 and 28 cases in 2022.

Several high-profile incidents have occurred at the mall over the past five years, including the November 2022 murder of a shopper in the Southcenter Mall parking lot. The murder occurred when a man and his wife interrupted three suspects who were trying to steal their car. Ultimately, all three suspects in this case pleaded guilty to murder.

A year earlier, in November 2021, a Rainier Beach High School graduate and her 18-year-old boyfriend were shot and killed at the mall the day before Thanksgiving. The 17-year-old victim later died in hospital and no suspects were ever arrested.

In January 2024, the body of a murdered taxi driver was found in the shopping center parking lot. Police said the victim was likely stabbed elsewhere and then dumped on the mall property. A fugitive U.S. Army soldier was eventually arrested and charged with murder in the case.

Regarding Friday’s shooting, Tukwila police did not respond to KOMO’s requests for updates on the status of the investigation or the search for suspects in the case.