Woman critically injured in Pioneer Square shooting

A 26-year-old woman was in critical condition after being shot multiple times in the torso early Sunday in Pioneer Square, the latest example of late-night gun violence in the neighborhood.

Shots were reported near Occidental Avenue South and South Jackson Street around 1:30 a.m. Officers arrived to find the woman alert and conscious. She was transported by the Seattle Fire Department to Harborview Medical Center. The hospital did not respond to a request for an update.

Police said their investigation showed the woman “was in an altercation with a man shortly before the shooting.” The suspect left the scene before officers arrived. The gunfire also damaged a vehicle, police said.

On Sunday afternoon, the Alliance for Pioneer Square, a nonprofit that promotes the 34-square-block neighborhood, issued a statement: “The issues contributing to gun violence in the neighborhood have been ongoing, and last night’s shooting underscores the need for sustained, visible action.”

There are nine clubs and 15 late-night bars in the neighborhood.

Lisa Howard, the group’s executive director, said it had issued a similar call for action last May. That was after three people were fatally shot and a fourth critically injured outside a Pioneer Square nightclub. Two men were charged in the triple homicide.

The neighborhood group wants “consistent police presence” between midnight and 3 a.m. in Pioneer Square, “when a majority of incidents are occurring.” Howard said that after the 2025 call, there was “some” increased police presence, but she says it should be ongoing.

Howard also cited having parking lots closed from 2 to 5 a.m. If the lots are the kind that occupy a lot and have no gates, she said the lot owners began towing the vehicles.

“What was happening was people going back to the cars, where they have guns or other weapons, and if they got into a conflict, that’s when it would escalate to gun violence,” she said.

As summer approaches, the statement called for “a city-led task force to assess conditions in Pioneer Square” and develop a plan. She said the mayor’s office would be a place to start.

Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit were leading the investigation into Sunday’s shooting. Anyone with information was asked to call the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.