Tacoma Grandmother Shot in Face with Pellet Gun While Driving Through Downtown Seattle — Police Still Searching for Suspect
SEATTLE, WA — What began as a joyful family outing turned into a terrifying ordeal when 63-year-old Edith Oppenheimer, a grandmother from Tacoma, was shot in the face with a pellet gun while driving through downtown Seattle on Friday evening, July 11, 2025.
Oppenheimer had spent the day celebrating her daughter Corie Cameron’s birthday at Pike Place Market, accompanied by her two young granddaughters — 10-year-old Ellie and 8-year-old Nora. Around 5:15 p.m., while driving through Pioneer Square near Fourth Avenue and Jackson Street, the unthinkable happened. With the windows rolled down on a warm day, a sudden and violent act shattered the moment.
“It was just really scary,” said Cameron, recounting the traumatic incident. “My kids were literally in the car. My daughter was a foot behind my mom. It was literally just shock and terror.”
As the family approached the King Street Amtrak Station, the girls were gazing out the window when a piercing scream from Oppenheimer broke the calm.
“She was holding her cheek, and she was like, ‘Oh, something hit me,’” Ellie recalled. Initially believing it might have been a rock or a baseball, the family was horrified when Oppenheimer removed her hand from her face to reveal blood pouring from a wound on her cheek.
Emergency services quickly responded, transporting Oppenheimer to the hospital. A CT scan revealed a shocking discovery: a bent, pointed air rifle pellet lodged in her cheekbone. Doctors confirmed that the projectile had struck with enough force to fracture her cheekbone — and had it been just an inch higher, it could have cost her an eye or worse.
“There was blood everywhere, just pouring down,” Cameron recounted. “They found a bullet — well, like a pellet. The whole end was bent because it had hit her cheekbone and curved.”
The incident appeared completely unprovoked. The family reported no road rage, confrontation, or unusual behavior leading up to the moment of the shooting. “It was stop-and-go traffic,” Cameron said. “There was nobody getting angry. There was no honking, no road rage — nothing was happening.”
The randomness and violence of the act have left the family deeply shaken. The two young girls, Ellie and Nora, are still trying to process what they witnessed — and how narrowly their grandmother escaped a far graver fate.
Seattle Police have launched an investigation, but as of Monday, no suspect has been identified and no arrests have been made. Cameron stated that authorities are now urging residents and businesses near King Street Station to review surveillance footage from around the time of the incident.
Oppenheimer is currently recovering at home, but the emotional and physical toll is significant. Doctors say her recovery will take time, but they’re thankful the outcome wasn’t even more devastating.
“This could’ve been deadly,” said Cameron. “It’s a miracle that it wasn’t.”
The family hopes that by sharing their story, someone with knowledge of the incident or relevant video footage will come forward and help authorities bring the perpetrator to justice. The case highlights growing concerns about public safety and random violence, even in broad daylight and in the presence of children.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Seattle Police Department or Crime Stoppers. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and even the smallest lead could prove vital in solving this disturbing and random act of violence.
If you were in the Pioneer Square area around 5:15 p.m. on July 11 and witnessed anything unusual or have video footage, please contact Seattle Police or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).