A 71-year-old woman was assaulted and shot during a robbery inside her South Seattle home on Tuesday afternoon. Police are searching for two teen suspects.
The incident started just before 4 p.m. when the teens approached a man gardening and asked for money. The teens then followed the man inside and an altercation ensued. Police say the teens pistol-whipped the man's 71-year-old wife. Shots were fired and the woman was struck in the shoulder. She was hospitalized in stable condition Tuesday night.
The home of the elderly Vietnamese couple is in the 10700 block of Renton Avenue S., a few blocks west of Lakeridge Park.
Police searched for the two suspects with a K-9 track, helicopter and patrols.
The teens are described as light-skinned black males. One is 6 feet tall, wearing a white jacket and white pants, armed with a handgun. The second suspect is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and skinny with a mustache, wearing a blue jacket and dark pants.
Call 911 if you see the suspects. They are considered armed and dangerous.
Neighbor Pearl Campbell was home at the time but didn’t hear any of the shots. She was stunned to see all the officers outside.
“I just can't believe that's what happened. What is going on?" Campbell said.
Campbell is 77 and said the attack has her questioning whether it’s safe to go outside.
“Hearing they were working in the yard and I love doing yard work,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m going to be doing yard work anymore.”
Kennedy High School student Bryan Saldana walked through the alley a short time before the attack and saw the family in the garden. He was surprised to see the police show up a short time later.
“I thought it was unbelievable and I felt sad for the woman," Saldana said.
