A new KUOW investigation uncovers SPD's history of losing guns
In October of 2019, an 18-year-old walked out of a Seattle police training building with an officer’s personal firearm.
It was eventually recovered - but questions remained about how the teen was able to access the firearm in the first place, as well as the quality of security at the training facility.
This isn’t the only time an SPD firearm has gone missing.
In August, SPD reported 23 missing firearms, and the department confirmed that those guns haven’t been accounted for since 2017.
This information comes from a KUOW investigation into the department.
Soundside caught up with KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko to learn more about how the guns may have gone missing.
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
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Ashley Hiruko
Investigative Reporter
Ashley Hiruko reports on topics involving policing and the behind-the-scenes conduct of city leaders.
More stories from Ashley Hiruko » -
Noel Gasca
Producer, Soundside
Noel is a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside. Prior to joining Soundside, Noel worked as an online editor/producer with KUOW’s web team. She’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
More stories from Noel Gasca »
