Five shot, one dead, as lone gunman hits Seattle synagogue
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The Seattle Times - Published: July 29, 2006
SEATTLE — One person was dead and five others were hospitalized Friday in a shooting at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle building in downtown Seattle by a man who declared he was "angry with Israel."
Seattle police later arrested the alleged gunman, who reportedly had walked into the building and started shooting.
At least three victims were women, according Seattle Fire Department medics. Their names haven't been released, but one woman, described as 43, had been shot in the abdomen. The age of a second shooting victim was not available, but police said she was 17 weeks pregnant. She had been shot in the arm. Details about the other shooting victims were unavailable.
An employee in the building said she was at her desk when she heard what she at first thought were balloons popping.
"It went 'Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!' and then we heard a woman scream," said the employee, who asked that her name not be used.
"One of the receptionists told me that he shot her and then demanded that she call 911," the employee said.
"He told the police that it was a hostage situation and he wanted us to get our weapons out of Israel."
Most of the workers were able to leave through a back door.
A few minutes later, the man surrendered to officers.
Most of the victims were able to exit the building on their own accord.
"I saw one friend she had been shot twice in the stomach and was bleeding," the witness said.
The employee said the man apparently was buzzed through a security door by a receptionist.
According to Amy Wasser-Simpson, the vice president for planning and community services for the Jewish Federation, the man told staff members, "I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel," then began shooting, Wasser-Simpson said she heard the account from staff members who witnessed the shootings.
"A number of staff people heard some popping sounds, then they heard a scream," Wasser-Simpson said. "They escaped out the back door."
Shortly after that, one staff member who was shot twice escaped through the back door as well, Wasser-Simpson said.
Wasser-Simpson was not in the building because she was working from home. She also is in charge of the organization for the moment because the federation's new chief executive officer has yet to start the job and the interim CEO is out of town.
Hundreds of people have died in Israel and Lebanon since Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid July 12, prompting Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and a barrage of rockets fired at Israel by Hezbollah.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, founded in 1926, is an umbrella organization for the local Jewish community. It raises money for Jewish social-welfare organizations, runs youth and adult Jewish educational programs, and engages in efforts in support of Israel. It was a sponsor of a Solidarity with Israel rally last Sunday.
The federation's mission is to ensure Jewish survival and enhance the quality of Jewish life locally, in Israel and worldwide.
Even as rabbis were trying to find out more about security in preparation for Saturday night's services, Robert Jacobs, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, was issuing a recommendation to every Jewish institution, synagogue and temple that they get their people out of their buildings "until we find out if it's a lone incident."
"We're trying to keep the community as calm as possible," he added. Rabbi Daniel Weiner of Temple De Hirsch Sinai, which has locations in Seattle and Bellevue, Wash., had said he was checking with police to see if security there needed to be bolstered, if indeed, the shootings were related to wider issues.
But several rabbis said they were continuing with services anyway.
"Even if (the shooting) is based on hate, we're not going to let that have any kind of victory over our community gathering," said Rabbi Jonathan Singer of Seattle's Temple Beth Am.
Rabbi Jim Mirel of Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue said he was "extremely shocked, extremely saddened by the situation, and that his congregation was worried about a member of their temple who works at the federation.
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