Police arrest suspect in North Seattle shooting, parks facilities to reopen

Update: Seattle Police say they arrested the suspect in Burien shortly before 5 p.m. today. Seattle Parks says its facilities will be open on Saturday as scheduled.

Earlier: Police are searching for a woman suspected of shooting a man inside a Seattle Parks and Recreation maintenance buildon 82nd St. and Densmore Ave., just north of Green Lake. Police said she may have the keys to all of the city’s community centers, and Seattle Parks is closing all of its facilities — including community centers and swimming pools — for the night.

The North Seattle Community College campus is also closed. Boys and Girls Club said it has locked down its North Seattle and Wallingford Clubs and child care sites until further notice.

Seattle Police released this photo of the suspect, identified as 47-year-old Carolyn Piksa. Officers said she was wearing a tan corduroy jacket and jeans. She may be driving a blue 2007 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck or a 2013 Ford Flex. If you see her, you’re asked to call 911 immediately.

KIRO reports that Piksa is an assistant coordinator with Seattle Parks. Detectives say they’re investigating the possibility that this is a case of workplace violence.

(The shooting scene on 82nd and Densmore photographed by Seattle Police)

The victim is in critical condition, and Seattle Parks says his name is Bill Keller, the executive director of the Associated Recreation Council. ARC is a non-profit that runs the city’s community centers, reports the Seattle Times.

Shortly after the shooting this afternoon, police launched an extensive search at the Bitter Lake Community Center near N. 130th and Densmore Ave N. Detectives say the suspect “brandished a handgun at an adult female and left without further incident.”

Seattle City Schools released this statement:

Due to the City of Seattle’s closure of all community centers citywide, Seattle Public Schools is returning all students who were on buses bound for after-school programs to their schools of origin. In some cases, students were delivered to community centers before the closure announcement was made. In that case, the community centers are calling parents and asking them to pick up their students. Students returned to their school will remain at school with adult supervision until their parents can arrange for pick up.

For a time, Broadview-Thomson School, Bagley Elementary and Wilson Pacific sheltered in place as police searched nearby.

We’ll keep you updated…