Young man critically wounded in Renton robbery, shooting

An 18-year-old man is in the hospital and several suspects are at large after a shooting overnight in Renton early Friday morning.

Renton Police communications manager Meeghan Black said shortly after 2 a.m., a neighbor in the 11200 block of 162nd Street called 911 to report gunshots. When they looked out their window, they saw several people running from the scene and then heard someone yelling for help.

Black said officers found the shooting victim after following a path of blood from his car to where he was lying about half a block away. They administered life-saving aid until an ambulance arrived, taking him to a hospital. At the last update, the victim was in critical condition.

When he was still at the scene, Black says, he was in and out of consciousness but was still able to tell officers some information. Black reports the male said he was meeting an ‘acquaintance’ and was waiting in his car. He then saw a group approach him and tried to steal from him.

“The 18-year-old tried to run away when someone opened fire and struck him multiple times,” Black said.

Blood was marked by police on the street near the car, where the victim collapsed after running, and in the yard of Duane Sturz which lies in between the two other spots. The commotion woke him in the middle of the night.

“Someone who was just running across the yard and onto the deck for a minute,” Sturz recalled, “It sounded like they tripped and I heard an ‘ow.”

“It’s usually a pretty quiet and safe neighborhood.”

The victim’s car was towed to the scene for procession after RPD obtained a search warrant.

“Detectives are trying to figure out why this 18-year-old came up here to meet the acquaintance, what the motivation is,” Black said, “at this time it looks like an attempted robbery.”

Black says police aren’t sure of the description or age of the suspects, but think they are looking for three to five people.