Some terrible person shot Haley Keller with a pellet gun Monday night while she and her husband Dave were biking home from watching the sunset at Golden Gardens.
Keller, a Connect Ballard advocate, Board Member of Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes, and co-founder of Pedder Brewing, said the pellet hit her in the thigh, leaving a nasty welt that is turning into a bad bruise. The experience shook her up, but she’s glad that at least it didn’t hit her in a more dangerous spot, like in the face.
The two of them were biking south around 11 p.m. on the Burke-Gilman Trail where it runs next to Seaview Ave NW near Shilshole Marina when someone in the rear seat of a car driving in the same direction shot “at least five times in a row,” she said:
We immediately stopped, and I sat on the ground trying to process what just happened and look at my leg. Dave immediately called the cops. They came pretty quickly, took my story, took pictures of my leg, it’s Incident #17-239632. They said they had reports of someone shooting something similar from a vehicle at houses & condos in the area too. So sounds like they shot at me on my bike, sped away, then shot at some houses too. Really terrible, I’m quite shaken up about it, definitely didn’t sleep well last night.
It sounds like the assholes who assaulted her went around shooting at homes in the area, so if you have any information you should contact Seattle Police and give them the case number above.
Keller is a business owner in Ballard and a strong advocate for safer streets. She has been a leader in neighborhood efforts to improve the sidewalks on the Ballard Bridge and, of course, to complete the Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail that should run near her brewery.
Comments
9 responses to “Terrible person shoots Ballard safe streets advocate with pellet gun”
On Saturday, four of us were cycling around 5PM in that area and there was a guy in a car who was driving rather fast but stopped his car to yell at us, even though we were not in his way. He drove away on 46th but then came back on Shilshole a few minutes later to yell at us some more. It was very strange and a little threatening.
Ouch! Sorry this happened Haley. The world is full of unhinged people…
I think this crime could result in revocation of the licenses of the driver and the shooter. But it brings up the point that only car related felonies can result in losing your license. Even then it is only for a year. Considering how dangerous cars are, I think we should treat this more like how we treat guns and felons. Class A felonies result in permanent loss of gun rights. Less serious felonies result in at least 5 years of no guns. Considering how easy car murder is, why do we treat them as less dangerous?
Haley, so terrible that happened to you. Thanks for your bike advocacy and keep on riding.
I’m truly sorry this happened and it’s sad to know someone would even think of doing something like this. Makes one really consider wearing a camera at all times … even on a trail.
I’m glad you’re ok and hope this doesn’t dampen your enthusiasm to ride.
Unrelated, is there a single city council candidate who has taken a strong pro-safe streets/all ages bicycling position as a primary pillar of their platform?
I’m expecting to throw out my democracy vouchers before my NYC move next week, but am open to putting them to good use if there is anyone worthy.
(No need to respond on other issues — I actually do only care about safe streets.)
I think this is a great question – I went to the Cascade Advocacy page which says (to protect their 501 (c) (3) status): “While Cascade Bicycle Club still endorses ballot measures, at the beginning of 2016 all candidate endorsements shifted to its 501(c)(4) partner, Washington Bikes” –
http://wabikes.org/advocacy/endorsements/
http://wabikes.org/2017/06/29/elect-wa-bike-champs/
So I don’t know if the candidates in question support the all ages/all abilities position (personally, I don’t, any more than I want motorists of all ages and all abilities on the streets, but I respect your opinion and particularly applaud your wish to use the Democracy vouchers to impact the community positively rather than let them languish) in any event – it’s a place to start.
Thank you! I’ll check out this list and go voucher.
FWIW, I sent Lorena Gonzalez (the only candidate I saw on the list) all of my democracy vouchers.
For anyone curious, I also sent this note:
—
Hi Lorena,
I just sent over all of my democracy vouchers to your campaign, because Washington Bikes endorsed you as a leader who will take action on building the Basic Bike Network by 2019.
As a Seattle resident since 2006, I admit I’m now packing for my move to New York City next week, where I’ve accepted a new job. I’m leaving Seattle because I just can’t keep listening to empty promises from well-intended city leaders about our plans to build out connected, protected bike infrastructure.
In the year 2017, I now have my choice of cities where protected bike networks give me the freedom of mobility I expect, rather than consigning people like myself without cars to a second-class quality of life. In New York, city leaders aren’t just talking — they’ve been building 20 miles *per year* of protected bike lanes for years now.
If Seattle wants to be competitive and retain citizens like me, it needs to end the empty promises on safe streets, and actually deliver.
I give you my democracy vouchers — and my best wishes doing exactly that,
Eli