Renton police have initiated a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 20-year-old woman on Sept. 2 in the Highlands in Renton.
According to the police department, officers responded to a drive-by shooting just after 2 a.m. in the 600 block of Shelton Avenue Northeast.
Officers located the woman after she left the site of the shooting in a vehicle while injured, prior to her death, in the 200 block of Sunset Boulevard North.
“We’re still [in] the preliminary stages of the investigation and detectives are actively working through collecting evidence and obtaining any witness information,” Zoe Birkbeck, a public information officer for the Renton Police Department, stated in the email.
According to Birkbeck, the woman was struck in the shooting near the intersection of Northeast 6th Street and Shelton Avenue Northeast as she sat as a passenger in a black Toyota Prius.
The woman left the scene in the vehicle to find medical attention, flagging down Renton police officers in the 200 block of Sunset Boulevard North, Birkbeck stated. Officers attempted lifesaving measures prior to the woman dying as a result of her injuries.
The Renton Police Department has requested assistance from the public in the investigation.
“Detectives are seeking information related to the homicide that occurred early Monday morning,” Birkbeck’s email stated. “We are particularly interested in video surveillance or suspicious activity [and] persons witnessed between 11 p.m. Sunday and 3 a.m. Monday morning.”
As of a Sept. 2 social media post from the Renton Police Department, the department has no suspect information.
The previous week, the Renton Police Department investigated two non-injury shootings in the Highlands on Aug. 28, also involving shootings directed at vehicles.
According to the department, an officer on routine patrol heard gunshots at around 9:40 p.m. Aug. 28 and responded in the 800 block of Edmonds Avenue Northeast.
According to the department, a suspect shot at an occupied vehicle in the incident, resulting in damage to the vehicle.
No injuries resulted from the first shooting.
“Moments later,” according to the department, the officer heard a second round of gunshots in the 2700 block of Sunset Boulevard Northeast, with an individual reporting a suspect fired shots at their vehicle.
A King County Guardian One helicopter and Renton K9 unit responded to search the area. Law enforcement found no suspect in the shootings.
“Officers did recover bullet casings and other evidence and have probable cause for assault in the first degree,” a social media post from the Renton Police Department stated regarding the two shootings.
The Renton Police Department has requested public assistance in obtaining video surveillance or witnesses of suspicious activity and persons between 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. from Sept. 1 to Sept. 2. within the area shown. (Courtesy of the Renton Police Department)
