A man was shot and seriously injured early Saturday morning as Seattle Police responded to a reported assault amid Pike/Pine nightlife crowds.

According to East Precinct radio reports, police were in the area investigating a previously reported assault when gunfire rang out from near 10th and Pike and a vehicle was spotted speeding from the scene.

Seattle Fire was called to 10th and Pine to treat the victim, reported as an adult male who was transported to Harborview with serious injuries.

According to radio updates, the shooting scene was located in the Poquitos parking lot just east of 10th and Pike. Police were gathering video from nearby business security systems to aid in the investigation.

CHS is still gathering details of the shooting and a Seattle Police spokesperson said they were looking into the incident.

Police reported recovering a vehicle and taking it for processing.

Seattle Fire was also called for at least one victim with a head laceration in the previous assault but it is not clear if that incident was related to the shooting.

We do not yet have information on any arrests.

UPDATE 11:05 AM: SPD has confirmed the shooting and says the injuries of the 28-year-old man who was shot were not believed to be life threatening. Police say the man had been shot in the back. Officers found 12 shell casings at the scene.

UPDATE x2: According to SPD, the man who was shot told police he was involved with an altercation with two men in the parking lot when one pulled a gun. The victim reportedly told police that as he was able to disarm the first man and toss the handgun inside his car, the second man opened fire. Police say they were waiting for a search warrant to recover the first handgun from the car recovered at the scene.

The shooting comes in a year of increased reports of gun violence across the region. According to the King County Prosecutor’s office, shots fired incidents climbed above 1,000 for the year through August, a 48% increase compared to the three-year average for King County. There were 73 shooting victims who died in the first nine months of the year and 283 were injured — both 70% above recent levels.

This summer, CHS reported on Seattle officials responding to a weekend of deadly gun violence in the city with calls for strengthening community-led programs and the police department’s budget, forgoing past efforts like emphasis patrols and greater on the street presence of officers.

Another overnight shooting incident reported on Capitol Hill early Friday turned out to be fireworks.

While many of the gunfire incidents have involved only shots fired, assaults like Saturday’s Pike/Pine shooting have also been part of the totals. In October, Charles Chappelle Jr. died of multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting at 23rd and Jackson, reportedly the 38th homicide reported in the city in 2021. Seattle’s total stands at 42 — eight away from 2020’s final tally.

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