SEATTLE — A gas station worker shot Tuesday across the street from the Seattle Center was identified by his family as Graeme Dobbeck, 36, manager of Station 76 for more than two years.
Police said the shooter bought a drink before shooting Dobbeck and left without taking anything.
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Dobbeck’s family said he considered the station “his space” and was well-liked by the staff. He worked seven days a week, sometimes bringing lunch to co-workers who couldn’t leave the building and checking on customers disturbed by people at the pump.
“That’s the way he was. You can’t talk to him without thinking. He’s very interesting. He’s kind of eccentric and he has a heart of gold. And he’s my son,” Dobbeck’s father Ben said, “That was his space. You know he had days off. He went there every day. On Saturdays he brought the staff lunch.”
Dobbeck’s mother-in-law, Pam, said: “He was just this kindness and love that was always there. »
They described him as kind and funny and said they were baffled by his killing.
Ben said he is desperate for answers because investigators have not said whether the shooting was random or targeted.
“Why target this person, right? » he said.
Seattle Fire Department medics were dispatched to Station 76 at Denny Way and Broad Street at 5:52 a.m. for a “scene of violence” call. Dobbeck was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Around 5:51 a.m., a 911 dispatcher received a call of a person here at station 76 who was deceased. They saw a man heavily dressed all in black, entered the store, purchased an item, then went behind the counter and shot the clerk,” said Seattle Police Officer Brian Pritchard.
A glass barrier separated the counter from the store, but a door was open, Pritchard said. Police said video reviewed by investigators showed no signs of a fight or robbery. They don’t know if the shootings were random or targeted, how many times Dobbeck was shot or what type of weapon was used. No suspects are in custody.
The suspect fled shortly after the shooting, police said. Investigators don’t know if he drove around the corner and got into a car.
“We want to get this person off the street,” Pritchard said. “A person who comes in, buys an item, and then shoots the seller, that can be pretty scary. »
The shooting occurred near the Seattle Center, 11 weeks and two days after the deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival.
The family said recent shootings in Seattle, including at the Bite of Seattle food festival, where three people died and four others were injured, were on their minds. Ben said his son had expressed concerns about the area.
“He just had this unnerved feeling about the area, and he just felt like he really needed to be safer,” Ben said.
Asked if Dobbeck was worried someone would shoot him, Ben said, “No, nothing like that. »
Some residents expressed concerns about safety in the area.
“We want the city to become a safer place where families can come and go as they wish,” said Varun Chadha, who lives in Belltown.
Breinn Bertrand, who lives a few blocks from the shooting, told KOMO News he would welcome more action from city leaders.
“Absolutely. I don’t really know what the solution would be, but I’m open to all options,” Bertrand said. “We’re definitely considering moving, if that means anything.”
Asked about residents’ safety concerns, Mayor Katie Wilson said public safety is a high priority for her administration. Her proposed budget includes funding to hire 66 officers in 2027. Wilson said she wants to know the results of an audit before deciding whether to expand the city’s surveillance camera system.
A co-worker of Dobbeck’s, too shaken to appear on camera, told KOMO News that he was his manager and described him as “a great boss,” understanding and quick-witted. She said he replaced her around 5 a.m., about 50 minutes before he was shot.
“My boss was killed an hour after I left,” she said. “I don’t understand who would have wanted to do that to him.”
The co-worker said she would have locked the door behind the counter. When asked why it might have been unlocked, she replied: “Because I’m a little more paranoid than him, I guess.”
Acting Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles was at the scene. Detectives and a crime scene investigation unit were still working at the station Tuesday afternoon. A department spokesperson said SPD’s video unit was reviewing the footage with homicide detectives; police had not released additional information about a suspect.
Police are asking anyone with information or video of Denny Way and Broad Street between 5 and 6 a.m. Tuesday to call SPD’s violent crime tip line at 206-233-5000.
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