Popular Bellingham park closed after apparent shooting Monday night
Lake Padden park reopened Tuesday, about 12 hours after a Monday night shooting that cleared the area and the nearby golf course, Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Oliver told The Bellingham Herald in a text message.
Few details were released, but several people at the popular park contacted the Herald to say that they’d been forced to leave or their cars were blocked in by emergency vehicles.
No information was available about a possible victim or whether police had any suspects.
No arrests related to a shooting were on the Whatcom County Jail website as of 9 p.m. Monday.
“Bellingham Police Department is actively investigating the scene of a shooting, with our crime scene investigators and detectives getting on scene,” police Lt. Claudia Murphy said in a tweet.
Posts on several social media sites indicated that at least a dozen police cars were in the park, along with the department’s Bearcat armored truck.
Police activity was focused on the park’s east side, near the off-leash dog area and the golf course, according to social media posts.
“Lake Padden East is closed to all incoming traffic for the remainder of the evening until the park closes at dusk,” Murphy said.
“As the investigation proceeds, there will be further information released,” Murphy said. “The park will open tomorrow on regular schedule unless we announce otherwise.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2023 at 9:29 PM.
