King County Metro bus driver killed in fatal U District stabbing

A King County Metro bus driver was fatally stabbed in Seattle's University District neighborhood early Wednesday morning. Shawn Yim, 59, was stabbed in the chest amid an altercation with a passenger, officials say.

Leaders of the union representing Metro operators say the stabbing is part of a larger pattern of violence aimed at bus drivers and passengers.

Officers responded to reports of a stabbing near 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 41st Street shortly before 3:00 a.m. They provided medical aid to Yim, who had collapsed from his injuries after walking a short distance from the bus, police say. Yim died at the scene.

The suspect, described by police only as "an adult male passenger," fled the scene. A K9 search for the suspect was unsuccessful; no arrests have been made in connection with Yim's death.

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"[Yim] was very well liked, loved, and respected," said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587-Seattle President Greg Woodfill during a press conference Wednesday. "He's going to be deeply missed. I believe we have an operator here who talked to him shortly before his shift last night. So we're all in shock."

Yim's death marks the first killing of a King County Metro bus driver on the job in 26 years. In 1998, bus operator Mark McLaughlin was shot and killed by a passenger who later turned the gun on himself.

Wednesday's stabbing also comes a day after Metro announced it would indefinitely halt bus service in the Little Saigon area of Seattle's Chinatown-International District neighborhood, citing ongoing safety concerns near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. The area has become known as a crime hotspot in recent years.

In November, a man was arrested in connection with a 2-day stabbing spree near the area, in which 10 victims were injured. No deaths were reported in connection with the mass-stabbing.

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Speaking at Wednesday's press conference, King County Executive Dow Constantine attempted to ease any fears of riding public transit in the wake of Yim's death.

"We move hundreds of thousands of people a day with very rarely a serious incident," he said. "So transit is, on the whole, a safe way to get around. What happens on the streets can spill over onto transit, and we have to clean up the situation on the streets that involves interventions, mental health, addiction. I don't know what the situation was with this person who committed this outrageous act of violence, but we're going to find out."

In contrast, Local 587-Seattle said in a written statement that the group has seen an uptick in violence toward drivers and passengers.

"Unfortunately, this brutal killing is not an isolated incident," the statement reads. "ATU members have been shot, stabbed, and struck with canes, fire extinguishers, screwdrivers, hammers, and garbage cans. They have been attacked with pepper spray, burned with hot coffee, and doused in urine and spit. Bus drivers have been robbed for pocket change, and have been regularly sexually assaulted."

King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn said in a written statement that Yim's death "highlights the immense public safety challenges faced in Seattle, which are a direct result of historically low numbers of police on the street."

Dunn's statement continues, "While the King County Council just invested an additional $4.7 million in Metro's Safety, Security, and Fare Enforcement Reform Initiative (SaFE), the safety of our services are impacted by the safety of Seattle. Our Metro drivers deserve better."

Police are urging anyone with information about the stabbing to come forward by calling 911 or the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Local 587-Seattle has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to the prosecution of Yim's killer.