3:58 p.m. October 16. As boys ultimate hurled discs 70 yards on the quad, and junior varsity girls soccer dribbled balls in anticipation of their game against Holy Names, a gray Kia Soul careened across Parsons Field. After chasing after members of sports teams, the car promptly fled back to First Avenue.
Although the school has responded to this incident, the identity and goals of the perpetrator remain unclear. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) stated that although “there has been an increase of motor vehicle theft in Seattle, specifically the increased theft of Kias and Hyundais, the act of driving onto a populated soccer field appears to be an isolated and very dangerous event,” and Head of Upper School Boccuzzi was shocked by the events of that Monday, adding, “Although I don’t know for sure, I suspect this was not a targeted incident directed towards our community.”
Miles L. ‘25, who is a member of boys ultimate, expressed, “It took me a few seconds to realize the car wasn’t supposed to be there as we crowded around the bleachers. In the moment, I was just confused, but I think we all were a little shocked afterwards.”
In both the email and subsequent assembly concerning the incident, the administration made clear their disdain for such activity, but they were not able to provide any details about the perpetrator or their motives. For students and parents, this was most worrying as the video recording of the event, which shows deliberate and sane driving, suggests that the Kia driver planned their incursion.
In the hour after the incident, students and adults congregated on the quad and Parsons Field, with administrators — particularly Mr. Boccuzzi — trying to assess the damage caused by the car and ascertaining if any person had identifying details about the perpetrator. Seattle Police received a dispatch call at 6:32 p.m., with “multiple officers responding to the scene and speaking with several victims.” Thanks to both verbal testimony and a video recorded by one of the soccer players, the police were able to locate the stolen car, immediately impounding it.
The suspect, however, had abandoned the car and absconded. According to SPD, as of October 25, the police had not yet located the perpetrator, and the department’s homicide unit is currently investigating the incident.
In response to the incident, Lakeside’s maintenance team added two boulders to the dirt path between Fix Hall and the track, which the car used to access the interior of campus. Furthermore, they have locked various access points in the black fence on the west side of campus and will be “locking” parking lots via chain barriers along their entrances in the evenings.
As for the motives of the suspect, not much could be ascertained. Both Seattle Police and Mr. Boccuzzi believe that it was an isolated incident, and it is very unlikely that any malicious person or organization specifically targeted Lakeside. There have been recent incidents like this one, most of them likely spurred by a new TikTok trend encouraging viewers to steal Kias or Hyundais due to their lack of security features and drive them around “empty” fields.
Since returning from COVID-19, there have been more instances of dangerous behavior in Lakeside’s immediate vicinity: a bomb threat deemed to be a joke two years ago, a shooting at Ingraham last year, and the “car incident” this year. Mr. Boccuzzi imagines that the situation will continue to evolve in the coming years due to new development in the area. He maintains that Lakeside is “engaged in a balancing act between maintaining our character as a ‘small college’ and the need to secure campus and keep students safe.”
If anyone has knowledge that could be helpful to SPD’s investigation of a Kia driving across the quad and Parsons Field, the department requests that they call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206)-233-5000.
