Seattle police arrest woman suspected in shooting

This undated image released by the Seattle police on Friday, March 8, 2013 shows 46-year-old Carolyn Piksa, who authorities say is suspected of critically wounding a 65-year-old man in a Seattle parks department building. She was arrested at her home Friday, hours after fleeing the scene of the shooting. / AP Photo/Seattle Police

SEATTLE A woman suspected of shooting and critically wounding a 65-year-old man inside a Seattle parks department building was arrested at her home Friday, hours after fleeing the scene of the shooting.

The shooting in north Seattle prompted the city to shut down all community centers and put nearby schools on high alert. The woman, a parks employee, had keys to city facilities, deputy police chief Nick Metz said.

Police initially characterized the shooting as workplace violence. A motive hasn't been determined.

Seattle police identified the suspect as 46-year-old Carolyn Piksa. The Seattle Times reported that she works as an assistant coordinator for community centers and has been a Parks and Recreation Department employee since 1986.

After the shooting, she drove to another city facility where she confronted an employee with a handgun and exchanged words but left without incident, police said.

Metz declined to give further details on what she told the employee in the verbal confrontation.

Using her cellphone signal, police tracked her to her suburban Burien home, just south of Seattle, Metz said. Television footage showed SWAT team personnel surrounding the house before police announced she was in custody. Other footage showed a handcuffed woman being escorted by police.

"She immediately came out of the house without incident," Metz said, adding that she wasn't armed at the time of her arrest.

The wounded man was identified as Bill Keller and was at Harborview Medical Center in critical but stable condition with a shot to the chest, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. Keller is the executive director of the Associated Recreation Council, a nonprofit group that works with Seattle Parks Department.

Metz said it was Keller who called 911 to report the shooting. It wasn't clear why he made the call himself. Between five and seven other employees were also present at the parks building when the shooting occurred.

All parks facilities and events will be on a normal schedule Saturday, Mayor Mike McGinn said.

[ichibandan]

Classic case of a good guy with a gun stopping a bad guy with a.... wait, that didn't happen here. This doesn't fit Wayne LaPierre's Hollywood fantasy. Better blame Hollywood before anyone realizes he's full of sh&*t.

[wtinnen]

She confronted another employee who had a gun WITH NO INCIDENT. Hmm, wonder why?

[JM68]

ICHIBANDAN, you are so clever....wait, you're an idiot

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

She is obviously guilty. She has IGOR eyes.

[oldoc44]

What?? Actually she's kinda' cute... but that's just a face shot.

[vernique3]

Lets make the gun industry and the ammunition industry happy and require that everyone must own a gun.

[Bojax39]

Bet gun violence would level out when every would-be victim has the option of shooting back. :-)

[john92021]

he had to dial 911 himself, not a very popular guy.

[kma smith]

my thoughts exactly. men at that age are often quite flirtatious
though more in a fun way than not. hope he didn't do more than that. she's a long term employee so she'll probably have some
creditability.
whew! now that I've solved the problems of the world, I'm off to Disney land where the yellow brick road is waiting for me!

[pitai]

The guy got shot, the guy is guilty....Value judgement in lieu of facts.Can't you wait for the facts to be known? Your credibility is zero.

[randomites]

She was probably hormonal. Just give her some estrogen and send her home. Oh, wait....she killed a guy.

[kma smith]

no she didn't. maybe you're hormonal, jerk!

[skeezix06]

More guns. More guns.

[skeezix06]

That's a dumb answer, askagain.

[swami545]

skeezix06 Make a stupid comment, get a stupid reply. dum-dum.