Police in Seattle, Washington, have identified three white men suspected of driving around a gay bar, yelling anti-gay slurs at patrons, and trying to harm people by firing water pellets from an airgun.

The three suspects — ages 17, 19, and 24 — allegedly drove around Pony bar in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood at around 11:30 p.m. on February 19. Video captured one of the suspects aiming the airgun and discharging pellets from the passenger side window of a “distinctively modified dark blue Lexus sedan” while yelling “f**gots,” police said.

Related

Seattle cops raided two gay bars, finding an exposed nipple & a jock strap
“You’re allowed to be who you are in Seattle as long as you don’t go into a gay bar.”

The Capitol Hill Seattle blog reported that the car circled the bar at least 10 times in just one hour, and at least one patron said a water bead struck them in the arm, KCPQ reported. The suspects also reportedly exited the car, approached bar patrons on foot, and returned to their vehicle to continue circling the block, KOMO reported.

Stay connected to your community

Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

While none of the suspects have been apprehended at this time, police say they know the vehicle’s license plate number and know who the car is registered to. However, they’re still working to identify the driver and passengers. Investigators have asked anyone with information to call the Seattle Police Department Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.

Meanwhile, police have notified other local LGBTQ+ venues about the incident. Detectives have also reportedly asked the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to consider pressing charges for a bias-motivated offense.

While water bead airguns are legal across the country, high-velocity projectiles can still injure people. Over 6,500 cases of eye injuries resulted from projectiles fired from toy airguns, according to a study published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

KOMO reported that the number of bias-motivated offenses reported in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood has decreased from 16 in 2022 to 14 in 2024, the lowest point in 10 years. However, police said that half of the incidents in 2024 were motivated by bias against LGBTQ+ people.

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.