Homeowner Shoots One, Possibly Two, Of Three Suspects In His Yard

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – A woman was shot by a homeowner in the Beacon Hill neighborhood early Wednesday morning. Just before 7;30 a.m., police were called to a reported burglary in the 2100 block of Beacon Avenue South.

The homeowners awoke to see two men and a woman in their yard. The woman called 911 while her husband armed himself and confronted the trio.

Arriving officers found a 53-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment, and her condition was not made public.

The man told officers that he opened fire on one of the suspects who approached him with a handsaw. A 59-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene, and the couple said that a third suspect fled the scene on foot.

A male showed up at a Ballard hospital several hours after the incident with a gunshot wound, but police have not yet determined if he is connected to the incident.  

The couple was apparently in a heightened state of awareness, as police said that they had been burglarized several days prior to the most recent incident.  

The investigation remains ongoing. The State of Washington does have a “Stand Your Ground” law which allows a person to use reasonable force to defend themselves when they are being attacked or have a reasonable belief that they are about to be attacked.