“It’s either this or bullets in my neighbor’s houses,” declared a concerned local resident.
SEATTLE — Frustrated by ongoing gunfire in their vicinity, some residents of North Seattle have taken decisive action to address the issue. They have constructed makeshift barricades on neighborhood streets, hoping to curb the violence believed to be spilling over from Aurora Avenue.
During the Memorial Day weekend, community members living near North 98th Street and Linden Avenue North gathered to assemble barriers using dirt, gravel, logs, and chunks of concrete. These roadblocks now partially obstruct three residential streets close to Aurora Avenue.
Those in favor of the barriers argue they are a necessary measure to prevent shootings, which they attribute to activities related to prostitution along the Aurora corridor. However, critics warn that these obstructions might hinder emergency services, such as firefighters and paramedics, from reaching homes swiftly.
“It’s either this or bullets in my neighbor’s houses,” emphasized Peter Orr, one of the residents.
In the past month alone, residents have recorded at least eight shooting incidents within roughly a 10-block radius of their homes. This information has been meticulously compiled using incident reports, surveillance video, and evidence of shell casings, according to neighbors actively monitoring the situation.
One recent shooting sent bullets into the side of a nearby home, stopping near a six-week-old baby’s bassinet, according to the family living there.
“We celebrate when there’s not a shooting,” resident Kate, who asked not to use her last name, said.
Kate and Orr said neighbors built the barricades over the weekend after repeated overnight gunfire left residents frustrated and fearful. They did not name the residents who constructed them when asked. They said they do not know whether whoever built the barricades obtained city permits.
Seattle requires permits to block or place structures in public streets. Under city rules, unauthorized street obstructions can lead to fines, removal orders and the city billing residents to remove them.
The neighborhood effort turned into a conflict Sunday when residents started confronting each other near one of the barricades.
River Alexander, a nearby resident, worried street obstructions could interfere with emergency response times.
“I think that the risk of emergency services not being able to get through here, and the impediment that could cause to people’s actual lives, is greater than the good they think they’re doing from putting up this,” Alexander said.
Kate and Orr argued enough streets remain open for emergency vehicles and said they believe the greater danger is continued gun violence near homes and children.
“There’s a real gray area there,” Orr said. “But nobody wants to wake up to one of their neighbors being dead.”
Seattle police previously told KING 5 they understand residents’ concerns and continue patrolling the Aurora corridor “as time and call load allows.”
Publicly available Seattle police data shows Greenwood recorded fewer shots-fired calls this year compared to the same point in 2025. However, a separate police analysis shared with residents found 13 shootings reported along the broader Aurora corridor this year.
Residents supporting the barricades said they hope city leaders will ultimately address the violence that led to them being built in the first place.
