On July 18, 2023, around 2:45 p.m., Seattle Police responded to a report of a barricaded suspect where two woman were being held against their will in the 2200 block of 15th Avenue West West in Lower Queen Anne.
When officers arrived, they learned the 49-year-old suspect entered the room, implied he had a knife and made threats to harm both woman. Officers assigned to SPD’s Hostage Negotiation Team, along with SWAT arrived on scene. Officers made entry to the room and took the suspect into custody. Both victims were uninjured. A knife was recovered at the scene. The suspect was booked into King County Jail for Unlawful Imprisonment.
According to police, the suspect is Andre Gordon Jr., 49 years old. This subject opened fire in two different locations. Specifically, the police received a report of a shooting that occurred at nearly 9:00 a.m. (local time) at Gordon’s own home. The incident left the suspect’s stepmother and 13-year-old sister dead. Gordon then moved to another house, and shot dead a woman who was the mother of his two children. Gordon continued to steal a car and fled to Trenton, New Jersey. Here, the suspect barricaded himself in a house and took several hostages. Police later successfully controlled the subject at 5:00 p.m. and the hostages were all safe.
After moving to the hallway outside the ICU and pointing a gun at a female staff member whose hands were tied, the suspect exchanged gunfire with the police, killing one police officer and injuring two. In addition, a nurse, a security guard and a doctor were also injured in the incident.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro visited the scene of the attack and praised the bravery of the local police force.
According to the initial investigation, the suspect is Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49 years old. This person had been to the ICU in the past week in connection with the treatment of another individual. The authorities are urgently clarifying the motive for the crime.
