Shootings in downtown Seattle prompting calls for action

SEATTLE (AP) — A shootout in downtown Seattle during the evening commute that left a woman dead and a 9-year-old boy injured was the third violent incident this week in a part of the city long known for rampant drug use and street unrest.

Business groups implored officials to improve public safety. And while crime rates in Seattle are low compared to other big cities, critics say mayhem downtown – from shootings, to drug dealing and the effects of the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis – makes locals and tourists feel unsafe.

The Downtown Seattle Association, a business group, said in a statement the area where Wednesday's shooting happened has been a high-crime spot for years. “We call on public officials to devote the resources necessary to improve safety in downtown,” the group said. “We say enough is enough.”

Three people, including the boy, remained hospitalized Thursday after police say several people opened fire, killing a woman. It was the third downtown Seattle shooting in two days.

Authorities began receiving calls of multiple gunshot victims at about 5 p.m., said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. The person who died was a woman in her 40s, fire officials said. Seven people were treated for gunshot wounds, said Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg.

The condition of a 55-year-old woman was upgraded from critical condition to serious and a 32-year-old man and the boy were listed in satisfactory condition. Amazon, which has offices nearby and is the city's largest employer, said two of its workers who happened to be passing by were wounded, but their injuries were not life-threatening.

“We are deeply troubled by last night’s events in Seattle and our thoughts go out to everyone impacted by this tragedy," Amazon said in a...