Seattle Community Extends Vigil and School Delays After Rainier Beach Teen Shooting
Updated (9 articles)
Fatal Double Homicide Occurs at Rainier Ave/South Henderson on Jan 30 Two male teenagers were shot at approximately 4 p.m. at the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street, near South Shore K‑8 and Rainier Beach High School; both died on scene despite firefighter resuscitation attempts, and the suspect fled on foot with no arrests announced [1][2][7][6]. The King County Medical Examiner later identified one victim as 17‑year‑old Traveiah Houfmuse, while the second teen’s name remains unreleased [1]. Seattle Police Department has assigned homicide detectives and urges tips via its violent‑crimes line [1][2][3].
Community Holds Multiple Vigils and Expands Memorial at Bus Stop weekend vigil on Feb 1 gathered family, friends, officials, and school staff, with speakers urging the unknown shooter to surrender [6]; a second gathering on Feb 3 featured flowers, balloons, and handwritten notes outside Rainier Beach High School [2]. By Feb 4 a makeshift memorial near the south‑Seattle bus stop had grown, displaying dozens of flowers and personal tributes [1]. Daveon Montgomery, who knew the teens, described them as “always smiling” and “not bad people,” underscoring the personal loss felt by neighbors [1][6].
Seattle Public Schools Delay Starts and Deploy New Safety Measures On Feb 2 the district postponed start times—South Shore PreK‑8 at 10:55 a.m., Rainier Beach High and nearby schools around 12:30 p.m.—to provide counselors, social workers, and mental‑health staff for grieving students [4][5]. Superintendent Ben Shuldiner, who began his tenure that Sunday, announced a “single‑point entry” security plan with controlled entrances and additional cameras, and pledged ongoing community partnerships to protect students at bus stops and other vulnerable sites [5][4]. The district also coordinated increased police patrols in the neighborhood for the following week [4].
Police Chief Highlights Record‑Low Homicides Yet Calls for Resource Officers Chief Shon Barnes reported Seattle’s 2025 homicide count fell 36 % to its lowest level in five years, but the Rainier Beach teen killings and a subsequent Pioneer Square shooting illustrate persistent safety gaps [3][2]. He advocated reinstating school resource officers—absent from high schools for over five years—as a preventive measure, despite mixed community sentiment [3]. Barnes framed the recent crime reductions as the “first lap of a marathon,” emphasizing the need for continued effort and the opening of a tip line for information [3][1].
Investigation Remains Open With No Suspect Apprehended Police continue to search for the fleeing shooter, urging anyone with information to call 206‑233‑5000; detectives are reviewing surveillance from the Real‑Time Crime Center, which monitors over 60 city cameras [3][1]. Community leaders, including PTSA president Angelia Hicks Maxie, have demanded a lasting safety strategy beyond crisis response [1][2].
Sources
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1.
King5: Teen Victims Identified as Community Mourns Seattle Shooting: Details memorial growth, victim identification of Traveiah Houfmuse, and calls for a safety plan .
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2.
King5: Community mourns Rainier Beach teens killed in Friday shooting, demands lasting safety measures: Describes the shooting, vigil, school‑official speculation on victims, and crime‑rate context .
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3.
King5: Seattle police chief cites record‑low homicides amid weekend shootings: Highlights citywide homicide decline, weekend deaths, and chief’s push for resource officers .
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4.
King5: Seattle schools delay starts after fatal Rainier Beach shooting: Reports delayed school start times, increased patrols, and superintendent Shuldiner’s safety remarks .
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5.
King5: Seattle Schools Superintendent Sets Safety, Budget Priorities: Outlines Shuldiner’s security upgrades, budget challenges, and mental‑health response .
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6.
King5: Community Holds Vigil After Two Teens Killed Near Rainier Beach High School: Covers Feb 1 vigil, unnamed victims, and community appeals to the shooter .
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7.
King5: Teenagers Killed in Double Shooting Near Seattle Schools: Provides early shooting details, victim identification as students, and mayor’s response .
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8.
King5: Jury awards over $30 million to family of teen killed in 2020 CHOP protest: Reports jury verdict, negligence finding, and settlement details .
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9.
King5: Seattle Jury Orders City to Pay Over $30 million for Teen’s 2020 Protest‑Zone Shooting: Gives parallel coverage of the CHOP case verdict and legal context .
Timeline
June 2020 – The Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) zone forms after George Floyd’s murder; 16‑year‑old Antonio Mays Jr. is shot on June 29, 2020, and delayed emergency response contributes to his death, a case that later fuels accountability debates in Seattle [9].
2025 – Seattle records its lowest homicide total in more than five years, a 36 % drop from 2024 and an 18 % overall crime reduction, which Police Chief Shon Barnes frames as “the first lap of a marathon” [2].
Nov 2025 – Seattle Public Schools selects Ben Shuldiner from 41 applicants as superintendent, announcing his goal to make the district “the single best school district in America” [5].
Jan 30, 2026 – Two male teenagers are shot dead around 4 p.m. at the intersection of Rainier Avenue and South Henderson Street, near South Shore K‑8 and Rainier Beach High School; the suspect flees on foot and police treat the incident as a double homicide with no arrests [7].
Jan 30, 2026 – A King County jury orders Seattle to pay over $30 million to the family of Antonio Mays Jr., holding the city liable for negligent emergency response during the 2020 CHOP shooting, underscoring ongoing scrutiny of police practices [8].
Jan 31, 2026 – Seattle police confirm the Jan 30 shooting as a targeted double homicide; Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis calls it “targeted” and assures the public there is no broader threat [7].
Feb 1, 2026 – Community members gather for a vigil at Rainier Beach, where Daveon Montgomery says the victims “are not bad people… they always have love for everyone,” and a speaker urges the unknown shooter to surrender [6].
Feb 2, 2026 – Superintendent Ben Shuldiner assumes office, calls the Rainier Beach shooting “a tragedy of unspeakable proportions,” and announces a safety plan featuring “single‑point entry systems,” upgraded fencing, and added cameras [4].
Feb 2, 2026 – Seattle Public Schools delays start times for Rainier Beach corridor schools—South Shore PreK‑8 begins at 10:55 a.m., high schools at 12:30 p.m.—to provide wellness supports and coordinate increased police patrols in the neighborhood [4].
Feb 3, 2026 – PTSA president Angelia Hicks Maxie declares “Enough is enough” and demands a lasting safety strategy so children feel protected beyond crisis moments [3].
Feb 3, 2026 – Police Chief Shon Barnes urges the return of school resource officers, noting no high school has had one in over five years, and announces plans to station neighborhood resource officers downtown and near the 12th‑and‑Jackson intersection [2].
Feb 3, 2026 – Barnes highlights the Real Time Crime Center’s monitoring of more than 60 city cameras as a “game changer” that improves case solving, while acknowledging response times remain insufficient [2].
Feb 4, 2026 – King County Medical Examiner identifies 17‑year‑old Traveiah Houfmuse as one of the victims, expanding the makeshift memorial at the bus stop where the teens were shot [1].
Feb 4, 2026 – Seattle police maintain an open violent‑crimes tip line (206‑233‑5000), assign homicide detectives to the case, and urge anyone with information to call [1].
2026 (future) – Seattle plans to deploy additional school resource officers, increase patrols in Rainier Beach throughout the week, and implement the superintendent’s single‑point entry security upgrades district‑wide [2][5].