Seattle news: the Seahawks bolster their roster ahead of the NFC Championship, police investigate a shooting in Belltown, and a unique homicide case tied to a 50-year-old gunshot.
Seahawks add depth ahead of NFC Championship
Ahead of the decisive game for a Super Bowl berth, the Seattle Seahawks front office made a series of roster moves to compensate for the loss of a key player. After running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the divisional-round game, the team faced an urgent need to reinforce the position. On Saturday the club elevated two running backs from the practice squad — Velus Jones Jr. and Cam Akers — and on Friday activated George Holani from injured reserve. These steps are intended to support lead back Kenneth Walker III in the NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Sports reports (link: https://sports.mynorthwest.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seattle-seahawks-elevate-2-rb-practice-squad-nfc-championship-rams/1836922).
Charbonnet’s loss — he was the team’s second-most productive running back in the regular season with 730 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns — was a significant blow to the Seahawks. In response, the coaching staff opted to emphasize experience and varied running styles. Velus Jones Jr., who joined the practice squad midseason, already saw game action in the divisional round where he rushed for 10 yards after Charbonnet’s injury. Although his regular-season numbers are modest — 32 yards on four carries across three games — his speed and return ability could be useful on special teams.
Cam Akers is a particularly notable addition. The six-year veteran, who spent much of his career with the Rams and was their leading rusher in 2020 and 2022, joined the Seahawks only in late November. Ironically, he will be facing his former team in such an important game. Despite having no carries for Seattle this season, his experience and familiarity with the Rams’ system could prove invaluable. For clarity: in American football a running back is a key offensive player who specializes in carrying the ball, and the practice squad is a training roster from which players can be elevated to the active roster for specific games.
George Holani, who recovered from a hamstring tendon injury, is also back. As the third running back on the depth chart early in the season, he totaled 73 yards and one touchdown and was active as a kickoff returner. His return adds depth and flexibility. The trio is intended to support Kenneth Walker III, who has had an outstanding season with 1,027 regular-season rushing yards and 116 yards with three touchdowns in the playoff blowout of the San Francisco 49ers.
The key insight here is not just roster replenishment but strategic planning. The Seahawks clearly aim to diversify their rushing attack to avoid becoming predictable for the Rams’ defense. Akers’ experience against his former team, Jones’ speed on the edges, and Holani’s reliability on special teams create a multifaceted threat. The decision was made amid optimistic projections about quarterback Sam Darnold’s and left tackle Charles Cross’s readiness, which overall strengthens Seattle’s offense.
The implications of these moves extend beyond a single game. If the Seahawks win and advance to the Super Bowl, they would have a more balanced and rested roster where Walker’s workload could be shared — critical in a single-elimination tournament. The risk is integrating new players into a high-intensity game where each mistake can be costly. Ultimately, the success of this personnel shuffle will depend on how effectively coaches can deploy each running back’s unique skills and turn necessity into strategic advantage.
Death after half a century: how a 1973 shooting became Seattle’s first homicide of 2026
The story of Joseph Garrett is a tragic illustration of how the consequences of a single moment can stretch across a lifetime and even outlast that life. His death in January 2026, which made the 71-year-old the first homicide victim in Seattle this year, traces back to a 1973 shooting outside a high school. It’s a case that prompts reflection on the nature of crime and justice.
Joseph Garrett died on January 4, 2026, but Seattle police determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound he’d sustained more than 50 years earlier — in 1973. The bullet, fired near Garfield High School at the time, forever changed his life and ultimately took it. Remarkably, the person who fired the shot was never held accountable and is now deceased. As Casey McNertney, communications director for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, noted, this is likely the longest-running homicide-by-delayed-death case in the county’s history. In comments to KUOW he explained that while such cases are unfortunately not uncommon — several are recorded each year — deaths usually occur after a few years or a decade, not half a century.
The only surviving public record of that long-ago incident is a brief item in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has since ceased print publication. A piece from October 3, 1973, headlined “Fight ends with youth shot,” reported that 19-year-old Garrett was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center. The bullet lodged in his back caused paralysis. According to that article (link: https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-s-first-2026-homicide-stems-from-a-shooting-more-than-50-years-ago), the incident happened at the intersection of 25th Avenue and Jefferson Street, right in front of the school and less than a block from Garrett’s home. During an altercation with an unidentified man who tried to strike him with a pistol, Garrett grabbed the weapon. In the ensuing struggle a shot was fired. The bullet entered his shoulder, traveled along his spine, and stopped in the middle of his back, leaving him confined to a wheelchair for life.
This case goes beyond ordinary crime reporting. It raises complex legal and ethical questions about what constitutes homicide and where the line lies between inflicting grievous bodily harm and causing death when that death occurs decades later. The paralysis and related complications that plagued Garrett for more than fifty years became the direct cause of his death, which is why it was classified as a homicide. Garrett’s story is a quiet testament to thousands of similar “delayed” tragedies whose consequences stretch on for years, often unnoticed by the wider public. It is a reminder that the cost of violence is measured not only by immediate fatalities but also by stolen years, ongoing suffering, and premature loss of life among those who technically survived the initial attack.
Belltown shooting: 19-year-old woman seriously injured
A Friday night in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood ended with a shooting that left a young woman seriously injured. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred after a gathering of people, and are searching for an unknown shooter.
Late on January 24, at about 11:37 p.m., emergency dispatchers received reports of a shooting near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Wall Street. The incident followed a disturbance after an event that had been held in the 2500 block of 3rd Avenue. Officers arriving on scene found a 19-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. They provided first aid until Seattle Fire Department medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center. Her condition remains serious, according to the latest updates.
Preliminary police information indicates an unknown suspect armed with a handgun fired several shots toward the building where the event took place. Bullets struck not only the victim but the structure itself. After the shooting the suspect fled the scene; no arrests have been made and the shooter’s identity is unknown. Detectives from the Gang and Violent Crimes Unit (GVRU) are investigating the circumstances that led to the tragedy. As noted in the official Seattle Police report (link: https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2026/01/24/woman-seriously-injured-in-belltown-shooting-after-disturbance/), anyone with information is asked to contact the Violent Crimes Investigation Section at (206) 233-5000. The incident number assigned is 26-22555.
The case again highlights the problem of street violence in urban spaces. The incident occurred in the bustling Belltown area, known for its nightlife, after a large crowd gathered. While the specific motive for the shooting and any connection between the suspect and the victim have not been disclosed, the use of a firearm in a public place is a serious concern. That bullets struck the building as well points to the potential danger to more people and the recklessness of the shooter. The severity of the young woman’s injury underscores the tragic consequences of such incidents. The GVRU’s involvement, which focuses on gangs and violent crime, may suggest a possible context for the shooting, but police have not publicly commented on that aspect. Events like this raise questions about safety measures at mass gatherings and the effectiveness of preventing armed violence in the city.
