Seattle Local — 2026-04-18#

Top Story#

Family members of a two-year-old who was shot and killed in Federal Way are expressing outrage after a judge allowed the murder suspect to leave jail for a day to attend his mother’s funeral. Eighteen-year-old Jayson Jack is currently awaiting trial for the first-degree murder of toddler Synsyr Lewis, who was killed in an IHOP parking lot in April 2024.

Local News#

Three Dead in Highway 2 Head-On Collision · FOX 13 Three people were killed and another person was seriously injured in a head-on collision early Saturday morning on U.S. Highway 2 near Gold Bar and Monroe. The fatal overnight crash is currently under investigation and left significant traffic impacts in Snohomish County.

String of Armed Robberies Target Seattle Businesses · KOMO News Seattle police are investigating a series of connected overnight robberies in West and South Seattle. One of the armed robberies occurred at VIP Smoke and Vape in White Center, where a suspect dressed in all black pointed a gun at the owner’s head and demanded cash. Authorities believe the same individual or group is responsible for the string of crimes, and no suspects are currently in custody.

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Auburn · FOX 13 A small plane traveling from California to Renton suffered an engine failure and was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday afternoon. The aircraft managed to land safely in an Auburn construction site.

Explosion and Injuries at BP Cherry Point Refinery · The Seattle Times Up to four people were hospitalized on Saturday following an incident that sounded like an explosion at the BP Cherry Point refinery in Whatcom County. The severity of the injuries and the exact cause of the incident have not yet been fully detailed by officials.

Hundreds of Blank Ballots Found Near Renton Dumpster · KING 5 King County election officials are investigating claims that approximately 500 blank ballots from recent elections were discovered near a Renton dumpster. A local man reportedly found the box of ballots and delivered them to a state lawmaker’s office, prompting fraud concerns.

Pushback Against Proposed Seattle Data Centers · The Seattle Times Mayor Katie Wilson responded on Saturday to rapidly growing community pushback against several companies proposing massive data centers in Seattle. Residents have been vocalizing concerns over the potential environmental and infrastructural impacts of the facilities since the news circulated last week.

Community & Lifestyle#

Residents can look forward to a warm and sunny weekend, with temperatures reaching the low 70s at Sea-Tac Airport. If you are hitting the roads, be aware of a major full closure of northbound I-405 between Renton and Bellevue that will last until 4 a.m. Monday. In local dining and recreation, Seattle Restaurant Week has officially begun, and the city announced that Bicycle Weekends will return to Lake Washington Boulevard starting Memorial Day weekend. Finally, the newly renovated 20-acre Seattle Waterfront Park is already receiving high praise from the first cruise ship passengers arriving for the 2026 season .