Seattle Police Seek Motive in Parks Department Shooting
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Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(SEATTLE) — Seattle police are working to determine the motive of a woman suspected of critically wounding a 65-year-old man inside a city parks building on Friday.
After a three hour-long manhunt for the suspect, police arrested Carolyn Piksa, a Seattle Parks employee, at her home in Burien, Wash., at 4:49 p.m. Friday.
Authorities are working to determine the relationship between Piksa and the 65-year-old victim, Bill Keller, as well as the motive for the shooting, Seattle Deputy Chief Nick Metz said.
The shooting unfolded just before 2 p.m. Friday and prompted the city to shut down all community centers and put area schools on high alert.
“We looked at this incident as a citywide emergency, because we knew that this suspect was likely to have access to a variety of parks department facilities, including some of the community centers,” Metz said.
Authorities responded to a Seattle Parks maintenance building after receiving a call from a man believed to be the victim, Keller, who said he had been shot. None of the other employees in the building had been targeted, Metz said.
Keller, the executive director of the Associated Recreation Council, was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, in critical but stable condition. He was last listed in stable but serious condition, according to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.
Investigators used cell phone signals to track Piksa to her house. A SWAT team surrounded her residence and ordered her through their bullhorn to come out of the house.
Piksa immediately surrendered unarmed and was taken to the Seattle Police Department’s homicide unit.
A weapon has not been recovered, but Metz said authorities planned to search Piksa’s home.
All park facilities and events will run on a normal schedule over the weekend, according to the Seattle Mayor’s Office.
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