2 dead, 3 wounded in shooting at Seattle homeless camp

SEATTLE - Two people were killed and three others were injured in a Tuesday night shooting at an infamous Seattle homeless camp.

The shooting happened at about 7:15 p.m. in the area of 1500 Airport Way South, which is near the foot of a well-known homeless camp called "The Jungle," according to Seattle police.

Two men were killed in the shooting. Three others - two women and a man - were wounded and taken to Harborview Medical Center. One woman is in critical condition, and a man and a woman are listed in serious condition, according to assistant Seattle Police Chief Bob Merner.

All were later upgraded to serious condition in intensive care, said Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg.

"Ages range from 25 to 45 and areas injured from the gunshot wounds include the chest, abdomen, and back," she said.

Dozens of police officers, SWAT teams and sharp shooters are combing the area and interviewing residents of the camp. Police say they have two "persons of interest" in the case, but they haven't released information about the pair.

Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole said investigators don't think the shooting was random.

"We believe this was a targeted incident," she said. "We have no reason to believe anyone else is in danger at this point."

At the time of the shooting, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was giving a speech on the city's efforts to address the state of emergency he recently declared to help the homeless. After the speech he addressed the shooting.

"You can't help but wonder -- I can't help but wonder -- did I act too late? That's my reaction. Maybe I should have issued the state of emergency months earlier. We have tried to do the best we can given the circumstances we have, but obviously I'm going to question, was I good enough at my job? It's on me at the end," Murray said.

The Seattle Department of Transportation says all lanes of Airport Way South are closed to traffic in the area. Police are asking people to avoid the area.

The Jungle has been home to a number of violent incidents over the years. A man in his 50s was shot and killed at the camp in June of 2009, and another man was shot to death there in September 2008.