Metro operator killed in the U-District

Photo of the crime scene (Luke Duecy, KIRO)

Just before 3am this morning, a King County Metro operator was stabbed to death in the U-District. From the Seattle Police Department blog:

Just before 3:00 a.m., patrol officers were dispatched to reports of a stabbing near the 4100 block of University Way Northeast.

They located an adult male suffering from stab wounds to the chest. Police provided medical aid until the Seattle Fire Department arrived. They pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.

Officers determined that an adult male passenger got into a physical altercation with the driver at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 41st Street.

The Seattle Times is reporting that the operator was 59 year-old Shawn Yim. The suspect is still at large.

This incident is another tragic example of ongoing public safety issues across the city. Although violence on transit continues to be exceedingly rare, ensuring safe and secure spaces for the riding public should remain a key objective for transit agencies.