June 2021

By Ruby Tuesday Romero

The last time I remember stepping foot inside Easy Street was on March 14th last year. I was looking forward to another great in-store, but Acid Tongue had decided not to play. Subsequently, the beehive that was the entire world, stopped buzzing.

Now, half-vaccinated and still masked, I stand here packed in between rows of records and shuffling bodies.

Chatter drowns out the vinyl soundtrack and all seems right with the world. This wasn’t a foreign feeling when I was growing up.

Back then, record stores were on every corner like Starbucks. Sadly, just like the artistic mess that is Seattle, they’ve disappeared. Even Easy Street ,closed their second location in Queen Anne in 2013, which is where I got to see The Killers perform just as ‘Somebody Told Me’ took fire. So after about 33 years, what does it take for a brick and mortar record distributer to stay open?

A Bar. Well, sorta.

Shortly before 4pm in White Center at 16th SW near SW 98th just outside the Taradise Cafe multiple rifle and pistol casings were reported following a shooting that apparently wounded four people, killing two plus a vehicle that got a bullet put in it.

One male was reportedly driving and shot in the back of the head, his car left the road and crashed into a store. That car had bullet holes in the windshield and the rear window was smashed out.

King County Sheriff's office said it is still a very active crime scene and they are attempting to gather details. No suspect has been named or arrested in the incident.

The two initially taken to Harborview had been shot in the head, according to Harborview ER.

Traffic is stopped in the area. This incident is under investigation.

The shock will likely never go away. 

One year after the discovery of body parts near Anchor Park that had been wrapped in garbage bags, and put in suitcases, the families and friends of the victims came to honor those they lost.

Austin "Cash" Wenner and Jessica Lewis were murdered last June. Micheal Lee Dudley, 63, was charged with double homicide in August and remains in jail on a $5 million bail.

On June 9, a small group gathered to commemorate and honor the couple by writing messages on floating lanterns and floating them on the water.

Wenner's mother Charleen Kriens with help from Lewis's Aunt Gina Jaschke organized the event.

Kriens said, "They are safe now, and with each other. God brought them to this place."