CLAUDIA ROWE, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- As the family of Pierre Lapoint prepared to bury the 16-year-old killed last week in a Rainier Valley gang shooting, another youth with admitted gang ties was being booked Friday on suspicion of shooting a 20-yearold man in the head.
The gunfire that has maimed and killed a steady stream of young men since January — detailed in a Seattle P-I series this week — prompted vows of aggressive action from at least one city official but mounting anger from residents, especially in the crime-heavy South End, who believe those in power have too long ignored their concerns.
“The public’s perception is well-founded, and that’s not just about the Mayor’s Office, but us in City Council as well,” said Councilman Tim Burgess, chairman of the city’s Public Safety Committee. “I get e-mails and phone calls saying ‘Why aren’t you guys paying attention?’ I don’t blame them for that criticism. We haven’t done enough, and we’ve probably made some mistakes in our response to these issues.”
