South King County cities including Des Moines, Kent, Tukwila, and Auburn saw a dramatic drop in gunfire incidents during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report released by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

The Q1 2025 Shots Fired Report shows that overall incidents in the south end fell to their lowest first-quarter total in five years, marking the first time since 2021 that South King County did not surpass Seattle in total shots fired during the first quarter.

Of the 278 total shots fired incidents countywide, 41 percent occurred in South King County, while 53 percent were reported in Seattle. This marks a significant shift from previous years, when south end cities consistently led the county in first-quarter gunfire reports.

“This is the first time in recent years that shots fired incidents in the south end did not surpass the number in the Seattle area during the first quarter,” the report stated. “Additionally, this is the first time that the number of total shots fired incidents from the first quarter in the south end has experienced such a dramatic decline.”

The county recorded 13 fatal shooting victims and 47 non-fatal shooting victims, for a total of 60 shooting victims in Q1. This represents a 41 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Half of all victims were identified as Black or African American, and nearly 90 percent were male. The most impacted age group was 18 to 24 years old.

While officials emphasized the encouraging downward trend, the report also noted that Q1 has historically been the least violent quarter each year, with gun violence typically peaking in the summer months.

Kent Police Department Praised

Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion praised the actions of the Kent Police Department in her interview about the decline:

“I attribute some of that decrease to the really good work of the Kent Police Department. They have really taken to heart and have partnered with community-based organizations and our office to implement a two-pronged approach to gun violence prevention, and I think we’re seeing results,” said Manion.”

Kent PD Chief RafaelPadilla was also interviewed and stated the following:

“These low shooting rates are a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of our officers, prosecutors, and the community. It reflects what can be achieved when our violence reduction strategies embrace the three-pronged approach of prevention, intervention, and enforcement of the law. The goal is to prevent violent crime. What this data confirms is that effective proactive community-based policing, data-driven investigations, and focused prosecution of violent offenders are all critical pieces to an effective public safety strategy. While we celebrate this success, there is still much work to be done. We remain vigilant and committed to sustaining this positive trend of reducing death and injury in our communities.”

Data was reported to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office by the following King County police agencies: Auburn, Bellevue, Des Moines, Kent, King County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Forest Park, Renton, Seattle, Tukwila, and Washington State Patrol. Suicides, self-inflicted shootings, self-defense incidents, and officer-involved shootings were excluded from the data.

Officials hope to continue the decline in gun violence through data-informed intervention and community partnerships.