No arrests one week after fatal Seattle church shooting

Police this week continued searching for information about the identity of a shooter who opened fire outside Pursuit Northwest church late last week. The attacker and another person on July 31 stopped in front of the church in a white sedan, where they fired dozens of shots into a crowd, according to Pastor Russell Johnson. Police later found the vehicle abandoned and on fire. The shooters killed 28-year-old Christopher “LeBron” Castleberry, known as LeBron Givaun by church members, who was at the building with his wife and son for a service and barbecue. Castleberry recently became a Christian and had gotten married days before the attack, Johnson said.

The church offered a $50,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest, and a GoFundMe organized to support Castleberry’s family raised more than $74,000 by Thursday. Authorities had not named any suspects or said if the shooting was gang-related, as some locals theorize.

Has this church suffered other attacks? In May, the FBI opened an investigation into violent protests that targeted a Christian rally in the city. Pastor Johnson and other faith leaders participated in the Mayday USA demonstration to advocate for traditional family values. They later blamed city officials for failing to protect them from aggressive counter-protesters. Police arrested 23 of the counter-protesters, according to the local Mayday USA organizers. Local church leaders rallied outside the Seattle City Hall to demand an apology from the mayor for statements that they said seemed to blame them for the chaos.

What is the state of violent crime in the city? Police said Castleberry was the 23rd person murdered in the city this year, compared to 31 at this time last year. Two other homicides occurred the same weekend, bringing the yearly count to 25. City officials said homicides and violent crimes had been trending down this year.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about how violent crime in the United States dropped nearly 5% in 2024.