Local chef murdered in light rail attack; The search for suspects continues

Seattle’s restaurant community is mourning the death of one of its own restaurants. A chef was stabbed to death at the Capitol Hill light rail station Saturday evening.

Now the search is on for his murderers.

We learn that the 37-year-old victim was a chef at Harry’s Fine Foods on Capitol Hill in Seattle. After learning of the chef’s death, the owners of Harry’s Fine Foods closed on what should have been a busy Mother’s Day. The owners plan to be closed tomorrow as well.

This tragedy is felt so deeply here. A bouquet of flowers and a sign were all signs that this was no ordinary Mother’s Day at this small neighborhood restaurant.

“Every time this happens, it’s always a real person,” Eedie DeRoest said.

The 37-year-old chef at Harry’s Fine Foods was important to DeRoest. He was her colleague for the month and a half she worked here.

She was asked how she was doing.

“I mean, I don’t know,” she said, sadness in her voice. “I’m not saying I knew him very well, you know. I feel sorry for his family and friends. I can only imagine it.”

Eyewitnesses say he got into an argument with two men about a half-mile away at the Capitol Hill light rail station that quickly turned violent. According to Seattle police, he was stabbed multiple times. Good Samaritans attempted to stop the bleeding, but he later died at Harborview Medical Center.

His death hits Seattle’s close-knit restaurant community hard.

“Somehow we’re all connected,” said Shea Bigger, a local bartender. “We all have friends in common. So, it does, you know, you feel it.”

In a statement, Sound Transit stressed that the light rail system is safe. As of February, there were 3.4 million light rail riders and only 47 assaults. But in the 15 years of its existence, three drivers have died here, two of them since January.

“It was going to be a big day,” DeRoest said. “We all tried to say, ‘Eat your Wheaties, you know?’ It’s going to be a great day.’”

DeRoest says the owners made the right decision to close on Mother’s Day, even on a potentially busy day. The death of her colleague is a stark reminder of the uncertainty of life.

“You just never know what’s going to happen,” she said.

Sound Transit insists these deadly attacks are rare. Still, they plan to increase security at the Capitol Hill station to make passengers feel safer.

There are cameras throughout the light rail system, so Seattle police likely have an idea of ​​what these suspects look like.

But anyone with information that could help catch the perpetrators is asked to call 911.