Interim Police Chief Says They’re Cracking Down On ‘Trigger Pullers’

Following a surge of violence over Labor Day weekend that left three dead and three injured in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, police and city leadership are addressing public concerns.

During a subsequent press conference, Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles sent a direct message to those responsible: the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is singularly focused on targeting “trigger pullers” — a term used by the department to describe shooters.

“We have officers in these dedicated areas. They’re a block or two away, and it’s one of those incidents where we respond to violence on a daily basis,” Sayles said. “It’s not like we can be there and stop it. But our goal is to be there and stop it.” (RELATED: Before And After Photos: Here’s What Seattle’s ‘CHAZ’ Has Done To The City)

The term sparked conversation online, with some users viewing the term “trigger puller” as a way to rebrand “shooter”.

According to police reports, the violence unfolded over three separate incidents:

Early Sunday morning, a fight escalated during an illegal street takeover, resulting in the death of a man. Two other people were also injured. About an hour later, gunfire struck a vehicle, killing a 23-year-old woman inside. The suspect remains at large. The final incident occurred shortly before midnight when another altercation broke out, leaving a 17-year-old dead and a 21-year-old in serious condition.

In a Monday media appearance, Seattle Democrat Mayor Katie Wilson offered her condolences to the victims’ families. (RELATED: Socialist-Run Seattle Now Leads Nation In Alarming Statistic)

“This weekend, we’ve seen three people die which is incredibly tragic and my heart goes out to the victims and their families and I know that SPD is hard at work actively investigating and they’ll keep us apprised as they learn more,” Wilson said.

Police Investigate Fatal Belltown Shooting https://t.co/1JSgvIyhly https://t.co/1RAqZwQ9Pn

When reporters questioned whether the police force is being overwhelmed by the rapid sequence of violent events, Sayles did not dismiss the concern.

“That’s something I have to look at,” Sayles acknowledged. “I haven’t really dived into what the staffing numbers looked like and if that was the case, then we will do what we need to do as a department to make sure that they are not overwhelmed.”