Seattle gunman shoots self after allegedly killing 5 others in shooting spree

(CBS/AP/KIRO) SEATTLE - The man who police say shot and killed four people in a Seattle arts cafe, then killed a woman during a carjacking, ended his spree by shooting himself.

As officers closed in during a widespread manhunt on Wednesday, the suspect put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He died at a hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Police did not publicly name the suspect in the shootings, but the Seattle Times identified him as Ian Lee Stawicki, 40, of Seattle, citing unidentified law enforcement sources.

Andrew Stawicki, his brother, 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."

Neighbors told CBS affiliate KIRO that the suspect had been known to people in the area and one person said he seemed "a bit off." She said the man had argued with people inside the cafe before, possibly with some of the victims who were shot Wednesday.

Seattle police still have not commented on a potential motive in the shooting.

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

Gunfire erupted about 11 a.m. at Cafe Racer, a restaurant and music venue north of the University of Washington.

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

Police said it appeared the gunman fled to the First Hill neighborhood near downtown. This is where he fatally shot a woman in a parking lot and stole her SUV.

He then drove the SUV to West Seattle and ditched it, leaving a gun in the car. After officers found the vehicle, they flooded that area with uniformed and plainclothes officers.

A detective spotted the suspect later and called for backup and a SWAT team, Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said. As those officers arrived, the man shot himself, he said.

The five victims brought the number of homicides in Seattle so far this year to 21, matching the total for all of last year. This trend has left city leaders wondering what could be done to stop the bloodshed.

In the last month, there had already been two random killings. A man died last week when he was hit by a stray bullet as he drove and a woman was killed in a drive-by shooting in late April. No arrests have been made.

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

One man wounded in the cafe shooting was reported in critical but stable condition at Harborview Medical Center following surgery. Hospital spokeswoman Susan 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.

On a corner across from the cafe, friends of the victims gathered by the ivy-covered wall of an apartment building. Some collapsed in grief. The cafe's owner hugged them and commiserated.

In other recent violence to hit Seattle, a bystander was wounded near the Space Needle Saturday when he was struck by a bullet that police say was fired by a gang member involved in a dispute with another man. Later that night, about 60 shots were fired in drive-by shootings at four houses. No one was hit.

Besides a plan to increase the number of officers on patrol in high-crime areas, police are urging people with information about shootings to come forward. They also said Seattle residents could expect an increased police presence in the near future.

City councilman Bruce Harrell said leaders needed to consider everything - from changing laws to addressing the culture of violence.

"If we are to be honest, there's no easy fix," he said.

More on Crimesider
May 30, 2012: Seattle Shooting: Gunman kills two people and injures three others, cops say
May 30, 2012: Seattle shooting update: Cafe gunfire kills two, shooter still on the loose, cops say