Drive-by shooting in downtown Seattle hospitalizes homeless man

A man who was shot in the face outside of Seattle's Benaroya Hall on Thursday night may not have been the intended target, police said.

The victim, who police described as a homeless man in his 40s, was shot once in the face by someone inside a moving car just before 11 p.m. near Third Avenue and Union Street.

Officers who responded to the shooting found the victim lying on the sidewalk, said police spokeswoman Renee Witt. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center with nonlife-threatening injuries.

The man was listed in serious condition Friday in the intensive-care unit, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Seattle gang detectives are investigating the shooting. Witnesses told detectives that an older red or maroon vehicle, possibly a Ford, had driven by a bus stop near the corner and someone inside the car fired at least four shots, Witt said. The vehicle sped off south on Third Avenue. Officers searched the area, but couldn't locate the vehicle, she said.

Other witnesses said a group of young men, who ran off, seemed to be involved in the incident, Witt said. One of the men from that group later returned to the scene and was detained and interviewed by gang detectives.

Witt couldn't say if the victim may have been an innocent bystander.

"We don't know if he was the intended target," she said.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com