Seattle Violence: 3 Dead, 3 Injured as Police Face Questions + WA Unions Slam Gov. Bob Ferguson

Three people are dead and three others injured after a violent holiday weekend in Seattle, raising new questions about public safety, street takeovers, gun violence and the Seattle Police Department's response to crime.

Three separate shootings occurred in Seattle's Belltown area over the weekend, including violence connected to another street takeover near the Seattle Center and Space Needle. At the time of this episode, Seattle police had announced no arrests in the weekend shootings.

Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sales is responding to the violence and questions about whether officers were overwhelmed. Sales says SPD is working with business owners, increasing patrols and bike patrols, coordinating with its Community Response Group and Gun Violence Reduction Unit, and targeting individuals known to police for violent activity. He also addressed Seattle's continuing problem with illegal street takeovers and promised the department would work with local, regional and federal partners to combat them.

Also on Washington in Focus Daily, September 11, 2026 marks 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. New research is examining the long-term health effects suffered by World Trade Center first responders, including a potential connection between toxic exposure, PTSD and accelerated brain aging.

The research examined brain scans from World Trade Center responders and found evidence suggesting that both psychological trauma and exposure to toxic chemicals could play a role in long-term cognitive and neurological effects. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people continue to live with physical and mental health conditions connected to the September 11 attacks.

Finally, Washington state employee unions are negotiating their next two-year collective bargaining agreements with Gov. Bob Ferguson's administration and the Office of Financial Management. State workers are seeking increased compensation and other contract changes as Washington faces continued budget pressure.

Critics are also questioning why Washington's public-sector collective bargaining negotiations take place behind closed doors. State Sen. Mark Schoesler argues taxpayers ultimately pay for the compensation agreements and says the bargaining process needs greater transparency.

Washington in Focus Daily breaks down Seattle's deadly weekend, the Seattle Police Department's response, new research into the long-term health effects of 9/11, and the growing fight over Washington state worker contracts, government spending and taxpayer transparency.

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