A 34-year-old pregnant woman was shot and killed inside a car in downtown Seattle on Tuesday morning, authorities said. A 37-year-old man was also in the vehicle when a gunman fired into it multiple times while they were stopped at an intersection, the Seattle Police Department said in a news release.
The victims were identified in court documents as Sung Kwon and Eina Kwon, CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reported, noting that a small memorial has been placed at the traffic light where first responders attempted life-saving measures on Eina Kwon in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Eina Kwon died from her injuries at Harborview Medical Center, according to Seattle Police. She was eight months pregnant and although doctors delivered her baby at the hospital, the baby died soon after, The Seattle Times reported, citing a probable cause statement.
Sung Kwon remained hospitalized on Wednesday with an injury to the arm, according to The Associated Press.
Michael Hoyle, a friend of Eina Kwon's, described her as the "most selfless person," in comments to KIRO-TV.
"She was just a really, really giving person," Hoyle told the station. "She had a kid on the way with her family and she leaves behind another little one and uh, who's gonna help them? Who's gonna make sure that he can sustain a restaurant now that he's gone through this tragedy?"
Seattle police arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting. The department said officers found the man "a short distance from the scene" of the attack and took him into custody, following tips from witnesses. Officers also recovered a firearm.
Detectives with the Seattle Police Department are investigating the shooting as a homicide. Authorities believe the attacker may have randomly targeted Sung Kwon and Eina Kwon, and a potential motive was still unclear when they shared their most recent
update late Tuesday afternoon, according to KIRO-TV. CBS News contacted the Seattle Police Department for more information but did not receive an immediate response.
Citing Seattle Police, the Associated Press reported that when officers approached the suspect, a 30-year-old man who matched witnesses' descriptions of the shooter, he raised his arms and told them, "I did it, I did it," before later telling investigators that he had seen a firearm inside the Kwons' vehicle and reacted by firing his gun.
A judge found probable cause to hold the suspect on investigation of homicide, assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, a spokesperson for prosecutors said, according to the AP. He had not been charged as of Wednesday.