Suspect dead after 5 shot in Seattle

A gunman killed five people in Seattle on Wednesday  four at a cafe and another in a carjacking  before he apparently shot himself as officers closed in following a citywide manhunt, authorities said.    

The suspect died later Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.     

Police who began scouring the area for the person who opened fire at the cafe near the University of Washington responded a short time later to another fatal shooting near the city's downtown. They say a man killed a woman in an apparent carjacking and fled in a black SUV.     

Police said late Wednesday they believe one man was responsible for both attacks.     

The Seattle Times identified the suspect as Ian Lee Stawicki, 40, of Seattle, citing unidentified law enforcement sources. Seattle police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said he couldn't confirm the name and said police would not publicly identify the suspect Wednesday night.     

Andrew Stawicki, 29, of Ellensburg, told the Times he recognized a photo shown on TV newscasts of the alleged gunman as his brother Ian. Andrew Stawicki said Ian Stawicki was mentally ill.     

"It's no surprise to me this happened," he told the newspaper. "We could see this coming. Nothing good is going to come with that much anger inside of you."     

A phone number for Andrew Stawicki rang busy when The Associated Press tried to reach him for comment.     

The latest spasm of deadly gun violence to hit the city worried Seattle's leaders and prompted police to consider increasing patrols in high-crime areas. The five victims' deaths bring the number of homicides so far this year to 21, matching the total for all of last year.     

Police said residents could expect a heightened police presence in the city for the time being.     

Gunfire erupted late Wednesday morning at Cafe Racer, a restaurant and music venue north of the University of Washington. The gunman was described as a man, possibly in his 30s, wearing dark clothes.     

Police released two photos from inside the cafe, apparently taken from a security camera. One shows a man walking into the establishment, with a woman nearby reading a book. Another photo shows stools overturned, and the man standing and holding what appears to be a handgun.    

 Two men died at the scene, and a third man and a woman from the cafe died at a hospital.     

One man wounded in cafe shooting remained at Harborview in critical but stable condition following surgery earlier in the day. Gregg confirmed his name as Leonard Meuse. Meuse's father, Raymond Meuse, told the Times his son was shot in the jaw and armpit but was expected to survive.     

A King County medical examiner's spokeswoman said her office might be able to release the dead victims' identifications Thursday.     

AP