Events
Gunman menaces downtown Issaquah
Downtown Issaquah transformed into a crime scene Sept. 24, 2011, after a gunman menaced residents and later died in a police shootout on a school campus. The Issaquah Press used Twitter and Facebook — and near-constant updates to issaquahpress.com — to inform readers as the event unfolded.
- Twitter chatter alerted reporters at The Issaquah Press to a possible shooting in the Issaquah area. The initial question to readers asked for more information. Police remained tight-lipped as the incident unfolded.
- Immediately, attention turned to hundreds of people gathered at a youth football game at Issaquah High School, near the gunman's reported location.
People attending football game at Issaquah High School seek shelter beneath bleachers during possible shootout. bit.ly/nchIPO- In the police response to the incident, law enforcement officers from at least 10 agencies flooded downtown Issaquah. Officers shut down a main north-south road as a police helicopter thudded overhead.
- King County Sheriff's Office Guardian One helicopter lands at Issaquah Community Center. twitpic.com/6q0gdw
- The dramatic image of a sniper perched on the King County Sheriff's Office helicopter appeared in the top spot on issaquahpress.com throughout the incident — and later on the front page of The Issaquah Press.
- In the moments after police secured the scene, readers directed questions about safety to The Issaquah Press. Priority No. 1 focused on reassuring community members.
- Issaquah police kill gunman near Issaquah High School. Gunshots did not result in other injuries. bit.ly/nchIPO
- The road closure caused Issaquah to grind to a halt for hours as investigators searched the gunman's abandoned car for clues — and possible explosives.
- Issaquah shootout and ensuing investigation snarls traffic downtown and on streets leading to city from south. bit.ly/nchIPO
- Police continue to search slain gunman's abandoned car at downtown Issaquah intersection. bit.ly/nchIPO
- Facebook, Twitter and issaquahpress.com allowed The Issaquah Press to share images of police searching the vehicle from a vantage point inaccessible to other news outlets.
- Investigators uncover ammunition and guns in gunman's abandoned car at downtown Issaquah intersection. bit.ly/ruZLEM
- Just as soon as the incident concluded, more questions started to come in from readers. Did schools cancel extracurricular activities? Would the road reopen soon?
- Issaquah School District (@IssaquahSchools) cancels weekend activities at schools near shootout scene. bit.ly/ruZLEM
- Downtown Issaquah streets reopen as police investigation into shootout near school continues. bit.ly/ruZLEM
- Later, investigators released the gunman's identity and clues about a possible motive for the incident.
- King County Medical Examiner's Office identifies slain Issaquah gunman as Maple Valley resident Ronald W. Ficker, 51. bit.ly/oM5ypD
- Issaquah gunman — Ronald W. Ficker, 51 — posted Facebook link to group for people hearing voices before incident. bit.ly/oM5ypD
- Slain Issaquah gunman's longtime friend describes Ronald W. Ficker as laidback: "That’s just not the Ron that I know." bit.ly/mR9Hpe
- The Issaquah Press used Twitter to offer a minute-by-minute account from a King County Sheriff's Office news conference days after the shootout.
