Man Shot During Protest at Milo Speech in Seattle
A man was shot and seriously wounded late Friday in Seattle near protests against a lecture by far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulos but it was not immediately clear if the incidents were related.
Police said in a statement the victim was shot in the abdomen and was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Seattle police said that a “person of interest” had turned himself in to University of Washington campus police and was being questioned.
Protests against President Trump’s inauguration were held around the country Friday, some of which – including in Washington, D.C. – saw violence or acts of vandalism.
A crowd had gathered in Red Square, a large open space on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington, to protest Yiannopoulos’ speech. British-born Yiannopoulos is the technology editor for the right-wing news and opinion website, Breitbart.
Police said in a statement that the shooting “followed a day of largely peaceful marches and rallies in the city, which were unfortunately book-ended by acts of vandalism and violence.” They did not identify either the victim of the shooting or the person being questioned.
Police told a news conference the shooting victim was 25 years old, but a later police news release said he was 32. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.
A large march is scheduled in Seattle for Saturday and police said they would have “a significant number of officers on hand” to ensure the safety of those participating.