Family Outing Turns Traumatic as Pellet Gun Wound Leaves 63-Year-Old Woman Hospitalized, Community in Shock
SEATTLE, WA — A joyful day spent celebrating a birthday quickly turned into a nightmare on Friday, July 11, 2025, when 63-year-old Tacoma resident Edith Oppenheimer was shot in the face with a pellet gun while driving through downtown Seattle with her family. As of now, police have not identified a suspect, and the community is left grappling with fear and disbelief over the brazen, unprovoked attack.
The terrifying incident occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. near Fourth Avenue and Jackson Street in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Oppenheimer had been in the car with her daughter, Corie Cameron, and her two granddaughters, 10-year-old Ellie and 8-year-old Nora, following a day of celebration at Pike Place Market.
With the car windows down and traffic crawling near King Street Station, the family was enjoying the warm evening when their world was suddenly shattered. A sharp cry from Oppenheimer broke the calm — she had been struck in the face.
“We thought maybe it was a rock at first,” said Cameron. “But then there was blood — a lot of blood. My mom’s cheek was pouring, and she was in pain. It was chaos.”
A CT scan at the hospital later revealed a shocking truth: a metal pellet from an air rifle had pierced her cheek with enough force to fracture the bone and bend the projectile. Doctors said that if the pellet had hit even slightly higher, the damage could have been catastrophic — potentially taking her eye or worse.
The randomness of the violence is what haunts the family most. “There was no road rage, no confrontation, no warning,” Cameron explained. “Just a normal family drive. And then someone shot my mother.”
The girls, visibly shaken, are still processing what they witnessed. For Cameron, the trauma is compounded by knowing how close her daughters came to seeing their grandmother killed.
Seattle Police are investigating the incident as a random act of violence. No arrests have been made, and authorities are urging residents and businesses in the area to check surveillance cameras and come forward with any relevant footage or information from around the time of the shooting.
Oppenheimer is now recovering at home, her face swollen and bruised, the physical pain compounded by emotional distress. The family is grateful her injuries weren’t worse — but they are demanding answers.
“This wasn’t just a pellet. It was a weapon, and someone used it without regard for human life,” Cameron said. “We need accountability. We need to feel safe again.”
The shocking incident raises renewed concerns about public safety in the heart of Seattle and the growing number of seemingly random violent acts in broad daylight.
If you were near Fourth and Jackson in Seattle’s Pioneer Square area at around 5:15 p.m. on July 11 and saw or heard anything suspicious — or have surveillance or dashcam footage — please contact Seattle Police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
As Oppenheimer continues her recovery, her family is hopeful that justice will be served — and that no one else will have to endure such a senseless and frightening ordeal.
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