Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area
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CIDBIA Updates

Letter from the CID Public Safety Council on Public Safety in the CID

CID Public Safety Council letter on recurring firearm violence in the Chinatown–International District. This letter was sent on January 23, 2026, by the Chinatown–International District Public Safety Council and community partners in response to recurring firearm violence at 8th Ave S & S Lane St. It reflects documented incidents since 2022 and calls for immediate, coordinated public safety action.

Dear Mayor Katie Wilson, Police Chief Shon Barnes, and Seattle City Council,

The Chinatown-International District (CID) Public Safety Council writes with deep concern regarding the persistent and escalating gun violence in our neighborhood. This violence continues to endanger residents, workers, seniors, and visitors, and it erodes trust in the City’s ability to protect this community.

Today, we are calling urgent attention to a specific and recurring hotspot for firearm violence: the intersection of 8th Avenue South and South Lane Street. Gun violence centered at this location has been a longstanding issue and one of the core reasons the CID Public Safety Council was formed.

Recent Fatal and Near-Fatal Incidents

On January 17, 2026, at approximately 4:48 AM, a shooting involving patrons of Caravel Hookah Lounge, formerly King Hookah Lounge, occurred at the intersection of South Lane Street and 8th Avenue South. The incident resulted in at least one fatality and multiple hospitalizations. The shooting followed an escalation in the parking lot of Tabletop Village, immediately after the hookah lounge’s closing hours. (Incident #: 2026-15844)

This follows a December 7, 2024 shooting at approximately 3:37 AM, when a fight between patrons of Caravel Hookah Lounge escalated into gunfire. That incident left five people injured, with shell casings found both inside and outside the establishment. (Incident #:2024-344033)

These are not isolated events.

Documented Pattern of Firearm Violence

Over the last four years, community organizations and residents have diligently tracked firearm-related incidents associated with patrons of this establishment, both under its former name, King Hookah Lounge, and its current operation as Caravel Hookah Lounge. Despite a change in ownership in late 2023, the violence has continued.

There have been at least nine firearm-related incidents involving patrons outside this location within the past two years alone. These incidents have repeatedly endangered residents of nearby buildings, sent bullets into occupied residential units, and damaged nearby businesses. See addendum for the history of incidents.

Sensitive Location and Foreseeable Harm

The hookah lounge is situated on a block with multiple sensitive community uses, including:

  • Legacy House, senior housing serving more than 80 low-income, limited-English-proficient Asian and Pacific Islander elders

  • International Community Health Services (ICHS), a nonprofit provider of accessible medical, dental, and behavioral health services

  • Domingo Viernes Apartments, affordable family housing home to children, youth, and multi-generational families

  • Tabletop Village, an all-ages game store and Pokémon Gym frequented by children, youth, families, and community members

This is not a general nightlife corridor. It is a mixed-use block where seniors, healthcare patients, staff, and youth are present daily. The repeated firearm violence associated with late-night patrons of the hookah lounge has resulted in bullets entering senior housing units and family apartments, neighboring community spaces, and damaging nearby small businesses.

Small businesses in the CID, many of which are family-owned and operating on thin margins, cannot absorb repeated property damage, safety risks to staff, or the fear caused by recurring gun violence.

Given this context, continued operation under current conditions creates a foreseeable and unacceptable risk to vulnerable populations who cannot reasonably relocate or avoid exposure to violence.

A History the Community Has Not Forgotten

This year marks eleven years since the shooting death of Donnie Chin, the CID’s community advocate and protector. Donnie was killed on July 23, 2015, at approximately 3:00 AM, at the same intersection of 8th Avenue South and South Lane Street where gun violence continues to threaten lives today.

For our community, this is not a coincidence. It is a pattern.

Underlying Conditions Driving Ongoing Risk

The January 17, 2026 shooting must be understood within a broader public safety context that includes:

  • Recurring cycles of violent crime, including firearm violence linked to drug activity and gang involvement

  • Delayed or inconsistent Seattle Police Department response to 911 calls and non-fatal shootings

  • Insufficient regulation and enforcement for late-night hookah lounges, even following repeated violent incidents involving their patrons

Together, these conditions have produced a cycle of harm and deepened community distrust in the City’s commitment to public safety in the CID.

Recommendations from the CID Public Safety Council

We respectfully submit the following recommendations and request clear timelines, accountability, and public reporting for each action.

To the City of Seattle 

  1. Pursue a temporary suspension or closure of the establishment if violations or imminent public safety risks are identified, until all corrective actions are completed and independently verified.

  2. Initiate a Chronic Nuisance Property review for the hookah lounge located on South Lane Street, using documented SPD incident history to determine whether the threshold for enforcement, suspension, or revocation of operations has been met for closure.

  3. Conduct an immediate, coordinated, safety-focused compliance review of the late-night establishment located on South Lane Street, known as Caravel Hookah Lounge, based on documented complaints, code violations, and repeated incidents of firearm violence and serious public safety concerns. This review should include inspections across business licensing, fire and life safety, building code, and public safety departments. We further request ongoing inspections, not one-time enforcement, with results shared publicly to ensure transparency and accountability.

  4. Ensure survivor and victim support services are on standby following violent incidents, clearly advertised, and accessible to residents, workers, and businesses affected by gun violence.

To the Seattle Police Department 

  1. Implement a written emphasis patrol plan for the corridor, specifying deployment days and times, goals, and a named supervising officer responsible for oversight and coordination with the CID Public Safety Council.

  2. Ensure consistent documentation and reporting of firearm-related incidents, including non-injury shootings, so patterns of harm are fully captured and acted upon.

  3. Develop and implement a CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) review for the corridor, with time-limited, community-coordinated safety improvements and a public safety plan. Such as lighting and visibility enhancements, traffic and parking management and late-night crowd dispersal strategies, and other site-specific measures that increase natural surveillance. Implementation should be supported through expedited access to the Back to Business Fund or similar programs to address storefront repairs and property damage resulting from gun violence.

  4. Establish a 48 to 72 hour post-incident community briefing protocol, outlining what information can be shared publicly and how community members can safely submit tips or evidence.

  5. Activate and share a City-maintained, one-page digital post-incident resource within 48–72 hours of a violent incident, consolidating existing City guidance on evidence preservation, safe and anonymous information sharing, and follow-up contacts, with links to relevant support resources and translated versions using existing City translation resources, in coordination with community partners.

 

Closing

The community appreciates the support in the last year from the Mayor’s Office to repair the WSDOT lighting over the freeway next to Caravel Lounge, replacing the streetlamp to extend further across the street to Caravel Lounge for lighting improvement, working towards pruning back the trees for visibility, and continually checking in with us. These improvements help but as mentioned above, only policy change and enforcement will address the root-cause of insufficient regulation in the late-night hookah lounge sector.

The community appreciates the support in the last year from SPD and Captain Brown for their proactive efforts to send in 3rd watch patrol to check-in from 2am–5am on Friday and Saturday mornings and Parking Enforcement Officers to mitigate the illegal parking and congregation of vehicles on Lane Street. Unfortunately, this was not implemented long-term so the behavior of the patrons resumed shortly after. 

Our community has endured more than a decade of violence at this intersection. We cannot continue to accept condolences in place of accountability.

We urge the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department to act decisively, using the tools that already exist, to prevent further loss of life in the Chinatown-International District.

Please work with us to ensure that there are no more anniversaries marked by gunfire.

Sincerely,

  • Chinatown-International District Public Safety Council (CIDPSC)
  • Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA)
  • Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC)
  • Chong Wa Benevolent Association and Education Society
  • InterImCDA
  • Friends of Little Saigon (FLS)
  • International Community Health Services (ICHS)
  • Seattle Chinatown-International District Preservation Development Authority (SCIDpda)
  • Tabletop Village
  • Kilig
  • Mam’s Books

Addendum: History of Incidents 2022-Present Day

This incident summary focuses on firearm-related incidents documented between 2022 and the present at or near 8th Avenue South and South Lane Street. It is intended as a location-specific review and does not include incidents elsewhere in the Chinatown–International District or those occurring prior to 2022.

October 9, 2022: An altercation at approximately 3:50 AM between King Lounge patrons outside the entrance of Legacy House results in gunshots fired at Legacy House property. Approximately seven shots hit an ICHS staff member’s car parked in front of Legacy House and two shots hit the Legacy House building, including a bullet going into a Legacy House resident’s room through the glass window. ICHS is told by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) that no incident report will be filed because no one was physically injured in the shooting.

March 25, 2023: Bullet holes found through windows of the Denise Louie Education Center, an early learning center and pre-school for high-need families, in the early morning. At the time of the shooting, Denise Louie was located at ground level in the Legacy House building on S Lane St., directly facing King Lounge. Subsequent review of video footage showed King Lounge patrons using firearms against a car on 8th Avenue S. The overnight Resident Advisor (RA) heard multiple gunshots from the Legacy House front desk. SPD incident report# 2023-081621.

 June 2023: Gunshots into Tabletop Village Game store. 3rd report of gunfire at the intersection of 8th and Lane. This gunfire incident resulted in damage to one of Tabletop’s windows. The shot was fired around 2am so thankfully no one was in the building.

July 4, 2023: Bullet holes through a vehicle of a Legacy House night shift employee, the second floor window of a Legacy House resident, Crawfish King restaurant on the northwest corner of 8th Ave. S and S Lane St., and the fifth floor window of a Domingo Viennese Apartment resident. SPD incident report# 2023-195319.

July 30, 2023: Bullet holes through the baseboard glass of a Legacy House resident’s second floor room while the resident was present. The overnight RA heard gunshots fired around 3:00 AM, and SPD review of video footage showed four King Lounge customers on S Lane St. carrying firearms and returning fire from a shooter on the I-5 exit. SPD incident report# 2023-216083.

August 15, 2023: The Chinatown International District (CID) Public Safety Liaison from SPD recommends that ICHS pursue these incidents as part of a Chronic Nuisance Property claim. SPD West Precinct advises ICHS that Chronic Nuisance Property requires either “three or more nuisance activities within 60 days or seven or more nuisance activities within 12 months.”

2022-2024: ICHS submits multiple police reports of King Lounge patrons yelling in the middle of the night in front of Legacy House, and double-parking on S Lane St and blocking access to Legacy House. This puts first responders at risk for not being able to respond in a timely manner to medical emergencies, posing a very real threat to the lives of our Legacy House residents. Staff report this occurs two-to-three times per week. SPD incident report# 2023-913984.

August 10, 2024: Shooting outside of the Caravel Hookah Lounge where bullets ended up hitting Tabletop Village and Domingo Viernes Apartments. Bullets entered the room of a DVA resident. SPD incident #24-223269.

October 26, 2024: At about 4:19am gunfire ensued in front of the Tabletop Village building, Legacy House, and the Domingo Viernes Apartments. Several bullets hit these buildings and even entered the rooms of residents at the Legacy House building. Thankfully nobody was hit by the gunfire, but we were lucky. Legacy House, home to over 80 low-income, limited-English proficient Asian and Pacific Islander (API) seniors, has been hit with gunfire repeatedly over the years due to the gun violence associated with patrons of the Caravel/King hookah lounge. The Domingo Viernes Apartments, which also houses many CID community members, has also been repeatedly hit by gunfire and bullets have entered the rooms of DVA residents in several cases. The shooting incident occurred at the intersection of 8th Ave and S Lane St. SPD Incident #24-305016.

December 7, 2024: At about 3:37am a fight breaks out between patrons of Caravel Hookah Lounge and then they begin firing gunshots at each other. SPD detectives engage nearby businesses for video camera footage. The shooting left five people injured, with their injuries ranging from minor to serious condition. ICHS provides video footage of the incident. SPD Incident #2024-344033.

January 17, 2026: At approximately 4:48 AM, a shooting involving patrons of Caravel Hookah Lounge, formerly King Hookah Lounge, occurred at the intersection of South Lane Street and 8th Avenue South. The incident resulted in at least one fatality and multiple hospitalizations. The shooting followed an escalation in the parking lot of Tabletop Village, immediately after the hookah lounge’s closing hours. SPD Incident #2026-15844. 

Actions Taken in 2025

In 2025, City departments and community partners implemented multiple mitigation efforts in response to ongoing safety concerns at 8th Avenue South and South Lane Street. These actions were meaningful and appreciated by the community; however, they were not sustainable or sufficient to address the root causes of recurring gun violence.

Completed Actions

Targeted Late-Night Patrols (SPD 3rd Watch)

  • Seattle Police Department deployed 3rd Watch patrols between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM on Friday and Saturday mornings, based on recommendations from International Community Health Services (ICHS). Officers conducted drive-by patrols when capacity allowed, with the understanding that Priority 1 and 2 calls would require redeployment elsewhere.
  • Outcome: ICHS and nearby residents appreciated the presence and observed short-term improvements. However, patrols could not be maintained consistently due to staffing capacity and overtime constraints.

Late-Night Parking Enforcement (PEOs)

  • SPD Parking Enforcement Officers conducted late-night towing and ticketing to reduce illegal parking and large vehicle congregation during peak hours.
  • Outcome: These efforts were effective while in place, but similarly could not be sustained long-term due to staffing and overtime limitations.

Lighting Repairs and Improvements

  • Worked with WSDOT to repair a broken freeway-adjacent light at 8th Ave S & S Lane St that had been nonfunctional for over a year.
  • Coordinated with Seattle City Light to replace a streetlamp and extend lighting coverage across the street near the hookah lounge.
  • Outcome: Improved visibility and lighting conditions along the corridor. These upgrades helped, but did not prevent recurring violent incidents.

Strategies Considered but Not Implemented

 

Additional No-Parking Zones

  • Challenge: Community members raised concerns about limited parking availability, particularly for residents, patients, and staff.
  • Recommendation: Explore a Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) with SDOT to balance access and enforcement.

Speed Bumps / Traffic Calming

  • Challenge: Installation was complicated by streetcar operations and significant cost. SDOT indicated assessment alone could take up to a year, with high implementation costs.
  • Recommendation: Revisit feasibility with SDOT leadership and identify potential funding sources.

Additional Street Lighting (Tabletop Village Side)

  • Challenge: Seattle City Light identified the need for trenching due to lack of existing power infrastructure, with projected costs in the millions and no available funding.
  • Recommendation: Reevaluate only if long-term land use conditions remain unchanged.

Gating or Physical Barriers in Parking Areas

  • Challenge: Physical barriers were discussed to limit vehicle congregation late at night.
  • Recommendation: Investigate feasibility; unnecessary if conditions leading to congregation are eliminated.

About CID Public Safety Council

The Chinatown-International District Public Safety Council (CIDPSC) is a collaborative group of community leaders and City of Seattle staff working to enhance public safety in the CID.

Formed to implement the CID Public Safety Task Force recommendations, we improve communication, coordinate responses to criminal activity, and foster a vibrant, healthy neighborhood. Visit CID Public Safety Council for more information. 

Each month, we answer community-submitted questions in our meetings, answered by CIDPSC or City representatives. Email publicsafetycouncil@cidbia.org.