On a cold December night in 2018, a party with over 100 people at the Edmonds Senior Center turned into a scene of chaos and tragedy. In the midst of the crowded event on December 14th, 23-year-old Alexander Rhodes of SeaTac was shot multiple times. First responders rushed to the scene, but Rhodes succumbed to his injuries and died at the venue. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office would later confirm that his death was a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, an Edmonds police officer patrolling nearby heard the gunshots and saw a vehicle speeding away from the senior center. A pursuit ensued, and police detained three people inside the vehicle. Two men from SeaTac, both 21 years old, were arrested. One was held on suspicion of second-degree murder and the other for attempting to elude a police officer. However, the man suspected of the shooting was later released from jail after prosecutors did not file charges against him at that time.
The investigation into Alexander Rhodes's death has been hampered by a significant lack of cooperation from the numerous witnesses who were present at the party. Detectives reported that even on the night of the shooting, the crowd was hostile towards officers attempting to render aid and investigate. Despite knowing that at least two firearms were used in the shooting, no weapons were recovered from the scene. In an effort to generate leads, police released an edited version of a cell phone video taken during the incident and have repeatedly appealed to the public for anyone with information to come forward. As of a year after the shooting, no new leads had emerged, and the case remains a painful mystery for Rhodes's family and friends.
