Nearly 50 community members gathered to discuss youth and gun violence on March 4, with speakers emphasizing that collaboration and trust-building offer hope for reducing violence affecting young people in Seattle.
The Seattle City Club hosted the event featuring three speakers from the Seattle Police Department: South Precinct Captain Heidi Tuttle, Acting Assistant Chief Rob Brown, and Lieutenant Sean Moore, along with King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion and Paul Patu of Urban Family, a nonprofit focusing on youth and family support in South Seattle.
Tuttle emphasized her officers’ proactive approach to building trust with students. Starting last month, one week before a tragic double homicide of two Rainier Beach High School students, two SPD officers began patrolling five schools in the vicinity on foot and engaging with students to foster relationships before school starts and after school ends.
“Their job is to be present,” Tuttle said. If officers aren’t available, she works to fill their spot with partners such as Urban Family. Consistency is key to building trust and relationships that are vital to keeping children safe, she said.
King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said shots fired countywide were down 33% last year compared to 2024, but that “we still have important work to do.” The discussion highlighted that preventing youth gun violence is a community priority and shared responsibility, combining proactive policing, engagement, and care.
The forum came as South Seattle neighborhoods grapple with gun violence affecting teenagers, including the February shooting deaths of two Rainier Beach High School students that shook the community. The emphasis on foot patrols and relationship-building represents a shift toward prevention rather than solely responding to violence after it occurs.
