2014’s monthly totals — and August’s big spike (Source: data.seattle.gov)

A group was robbed at gunpoint by four assailants — each reportedly armed —  Wednesday night in an alley south of the Seattle U campus.

All details in the incident are preliminary and have not yet been confirmed by SPD.

According to East Precinct radio dispatches, a K9 unit searched the area after a group reported that four young, black males armed with what appeared to be handguns held them up in an alley in the 400 block of 11th Ave. There were no arrests. A purse stolen from the victims was found nearby.

The hold-up continues a trend of robberies in the East Precinct beats covering Capitol Hill and nearby neighborhoods that saw nearly 20 hold-ups, muggings, and phone grabs per month — including a disturbing August spike — in 2014.