Man Goes On Shooting Spree...Kills Six 'Zombies'

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Seven Dead In Shooting Spree

Police have 'absolutely no idea' what shooter's motive was

Seattle, Washington - A gunman paused just long enough to spray paint the enigmatic word "now" on concrete steps early Saturday, then walked up to a Seattle home and systematically began shooting those gathered at a party he had left just moments before.

Shotgun blasts and screams brought police, but when the first officer arrived the shooter killed himself on the porch of the Capitol Hill house.

Five men, including the gunman, and two women were killed. The victims' ages ranged from the teens to the 20s, police said.

The carnage at the home at 2112 E. Republican St. was "one of the largest crime scenes the city has ever had," police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said.

Two more gunshot victims remained at Harborview Medical Center Saturday, one with life-threatening injuries, Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said.

Kerlikowske said of Saturday's slayings that "we have absolutely no idea what the motive was."

Police said earlier in the evening there had been an all-night dance rave party at a space on 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill. At least 1,000 people attended, Kerlikowske said. The theme of the party was "Better off Undead" and many people dressed like zombies.

Someone invited the killer to the home on Republican for an after-party which continued through the night. Some of the witnesses interviewed by police said the shooter was "quiet and humble" when he was initially at the after-party, Kerlikowske said.Just before 7 a.m., he left the home.

"There was no argument, no fight," Kerlikowske said. "He left and within 10 minutes he came back."

With orange spray paint, he wrote "now," on at least three concrete steps at homes near the party. As he approached the house, he opened fire with a pistol-grip shotgun, a weapon Kerlikowske said was designed "for hunting people."

Some witnesses reported the killer made a statement just before opening fire, but police wouldn't say what he may have said and hadn't confirmed the report.

People ran inside screaming and tried in vain to keep the door closed, but the killer forced it open.

"Once inside, he continued to fire," Kerlikowske said, adding later: "He didn't show a lot of emotion."

Kerlikowske said the killings were "execution style."

Police later found one victim dead on the steps, a second dead on the porch.Officers found three dead in the living room. A sixth victim died at the hospital.

The killer used a shotgun with a pistol grip, wearing an ammunition belt with more shells. He had a semi-automatic handgun as well, authorities said.

He fired both weapons multiple times as he made his way methodically through the home.

Upstairs, a man and woman were hiding in a bathroom with the door locked.The killer tried the knob, found it locked, and shot through the door, but he didn't hit either person, authorities said.

Victims, some bleeding, ran for their lives.

One wound up on the porch of Cesar Clemente, 51, who lives on a corner house nearby.

Clemente was getting ready for his morning bike ride when he heard the gunfire, ran downstairs and found his front door open and a shooting victim – dressed all in black - fallen inside. The man was bleeding profusely from his side.

"I was shot," the man told Clemente.

Clemente said the man was wearing clear plastic gloves with blinking lights at the tip of each finger. "He was saying 'take these off me."Clement said he didn't want to remove anything police might deem important, so he left the gloves on the man.

Outside, Clemente saw one victim on his back in plants by the house."He stood up, made about three steps, and dropped," Clemente said.

William Lowe, who lives across the street from the house, said the shooter was a younger man, dressed in all black.

Like others, Lowe, 59, heard the gunfire - shotgun blasts and small caliber gunshots.The screams and gunfire had neighbors frantically calling 911.

Lowe watched as the shooter emerged from the house and stood on the porch, just as East Precinct patrol officer Steve Leonard pulled up in his police cruiser.Leonard saw a bleeding woman on the lawn and ordered her to stay down just as the gunman came out of the home, Sgt. Deanna Nollette said.

Lowe was among those who witnessed the final bloody act of the gunman.

"He put his weapon to his mouth and he fell down," Lowe said. "The guy has a shotgun and puts it in his mouth. It's not something you want to see every day."

The officer didn't even manage to finish ordering the gunman to drop his weapon.

"Before he could finish his command, the person put the gun to his head and committed suicide," Kerlikowske said.

According to King County property records, the home is owned by a man named D. Gregg Doyle.

They moved into the house in November, Lowe said, and the residence quickly became a party house. There was constant loud music and noise and the people who came and went always wore black, with heavy black make-up, he said.

They were "not good neighbors, but they're not bad neighbors," Lowe said.

Rahul Gairola, 31, showed up at the scene Saturday afternoon looking for his friend who lived in the home. Four people lived there, he said _ his female friend and three men.

All are in their 20s, he said, and working professionals. They included a chef, a baker and a performance artist.

Gairola said he talked them earlier on Friday."We talked about going to see 'V for Vendetta,'" Gairola said. "We were actually supposed to see it last night."