On the morning of August 17, 2024, 22-year-old Francisco David Escatell was shot inside an after-hours nightclub in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. Officers responded to the 1900 block of First Avenue South around 3:00 a.m. and found Escatell unconscious; a security guard was performing CPR. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center but died of multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruling the death a homicide.

Escatell, a Black / African American man and father to a 16-month-old son named Esmani, was remembered by family as a loving brother and son. His death was reported as Seattle’s 37th homicide of the year. The nightclub has been described as an illegal, unlicensed venue with a history of neighborhood problems, including past break-ins and other shootings. The Seattle Police Department’s investigation is ongoing; no arrests or suspects have been publicly identified.

If anyone was at the club that night or has information about the shooting, please come forward with what was seen or heard.