Seattle police arrested two teenagers early Monday morning after they allegedly harassed two women while wearing clown masks and brandishing firearms in the Bitter Lake neighborhood.
The incident began around 12:20 a.m. when two women flagged down officers near Aurora Avenue North. The victims reported that the night before, while near North 128th Street, they were approached by two males wearing clown masks. One suspect appeared to be armed with a handgun, while the other was seen adjusting his waistband in a manner suggesting he might also be carrying a weapon. Fearing for their safety, the women fled the scene.
While officers were speaking with the women, a vehicle matching the suspects’ description pulled into a nearby fast-food restaurant parking lot. Police contacted the occupants and spotted clown masks and extended gun magazines inside the car.
One of the suspects, a 19-year-old male, admitted to the encounter and claimed it was intended as a prank. He even showed officers a video of the incident on his phone. The second suspect, a 17-year-old boy, was also taken into custody.
Both were arrested on suspicion of felony harassment. The adult suspect was booked into King County Jail, while the juvenile was transported to the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center. Police impounded the suspects’ vehicle pending the issuance of a search warrant.
The arrests come just days after the Seattle City Council approved the expansion of surveillance efforts, authorizing the installation of new cameras in neighborhoods including Capitol Hill, the Central District, and SODO. These additions will enhance the city’s existing CCTV infrastructure, which has been in place since October 2024.
