A gunman shot one man dead and wounded three others at the Northlake Shipyard

November 3, 1999
Web posted at: 3:53 p.m. EDT (1953 GMT)

SEATTLE (CNN) -- Police are surrounding several buildings near downtown Seattle to search for a gunman who shot and killed one man and wounded three others at the Northlake Shipyard.

Seattle Police Officer Clem Benton said the gunman entered the shipyard, "apparently walked into the back of an office, said nothing, opened fire and walked out," fleeing on foot. Benton said the gunman used a handgun and was wearing a camouflage outfit and a brown cap.

Other authorities described the suspect as a light-skinned male, in his 20s or early 30s, about 6 feet tall.

Numerous police units responded to the first 911 call at 10:32 a.m. (1:32 p.m. EST), Benton said.

All the shooting victims were men. One died at the scene, and two others are hospitalized in critical condition, one with three gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen and the other with a single chest wound. The third victim was said to be in stable condition.

MESSAGE BOARD Rage at work     ALSO Multiple shootings this year

Authorities said the gunman fled on foot into the city's Wallingford neighborhood after the shooting.

Police, using a scent-sniffing dog, were hunting for the gunman in the residential area. But an hour after the shooting, it appeared the dog lost the trail.

Four schools in the area have been locked down, with only school district officials being allowed to go inside.

The shooting occurred at a two-story building on the north shore of Lake Union, which is north of downtown Seattle.

A shipyard employee working on a boat outside said he heard seven to nine shots.

"We kind of thought it was a joke at first, because this is the last thing you think of," the man said. He said he then made a 911 call to police. He said a co-worker told him the shooter was using a handgun and wearing a mask.

Authorities said two of the wounded are in critical condition.

Police had no immediate information on a motive.

Correspondent Jim Hill contributed to this report.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.