Detectives are working to determine what happened before a wounded man and woman were found inside a crashed vehicle.
SEATTLE — A man and woman died after being shot inside a vehicle that crashed near Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Graham Street early Saturday, launching a homicide investigation in Seattle’s Rainier Valley neighborhood.
Seattle police said dispatchers received reports of a collision shortly after 2:42 a.m. Sept. 19. Seattle Fire Department crews reached the intersection and called police after finding a vehicle that had gone over the curb. Officers arrived and found the two people inside suffering from gunshot wounds.
Fire Department medics provided emergency treatment to both victims. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition and later died from his injuries. Authorities had not publicly identified either victim as of Sunday.
Homicide detectives responded to the intersection and began investigating what happened before the vehicle left the roadway. Police have not released information about where the gunfire began, how long the victims had been wounded before the crash or whether the vehicle was moving when the shooting occurred.
Investigators also have not announced a motive or described the relationship between the two people who died. Police said no suspect was in custody. The department also said detectives were not searching for any outstanding suspects, but officials did not provide additional details explaining that statement.
The lack of information left important parts of the case unresolved a day after the shooting. Authorities have not publicly said whether detectives recovered a weapon, identified another vehicle connected to the case or obtained surveillance footage showing what happened before the crash.
The shooting drew renewed attention to public safety concerns in Rainier Valley. Residents interviewed by KING 5 after the deaths expressed frustration and concern about violence in the neighborhood. Police have not said whether Saturday’s shooting is connected to any other recent incident in the area.
The case comes as Seattle authorities continue investigating several fatal shootings across the city this month. Those cases are separate investigations, and police have announced no connection between them and the Rainier Valley deaths.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Seattle Police Department’s Violent Crimes Tip Line. The department listed the case as incident 2026-279493 and said homicide investigators are continuing to determine the circumstances that led to the deaths.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.