SEATTLE — A King County judge set bail at $1 million Saturday for a woman accused of shooting a co-worker Friday in a Seattle parks department building.
Parks department employee Carolyn Piksa, 46, waived her right to a court appearance Saturday. The judge found probable cause to first-degree assault and set the bail, said King County prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe.
Piksa is accused of wounding co-worker Bill Keller, 65, in the chest at a Parks and Recreation Department maintenance building, then driving to a city community center to confront another co-worker with a handgun.
The co-worker got away and Piksa left with the woman’s purse. Meanwhile, Keller called 911 for help, documents said.
The shooting sparked a citywide search. City officials ordered the lockdown of all community centers because Piksa had keys to many facilities. Schools near the shooting were put on high alert.
The search ended at Piksa’s home, where Seattle police tracked her using her cellphone’s signal and she was arrested unarmed.
Authorities said Piksa was questioned after her arrest and she acknowledged shooting Keller and confronting the woman.
Piksa worked as an assistant coordinator for community centers and has been a Parks and Recreation Department employee since 1986. Keller is executive director of the Associated Recreation Council, a nonprofit group that works with Seattle Parks Department.
The motive for the shooting has not been determined.
Piksa is due back in court on Wednesday, when prosecutors will announce what charges they will pursue.
On Saturday, Keller’s condition improved from critical to serious, according to Harborview Medical Center.
The Seattle Times reported that Keller’s family members attended Saturday’s court hearing, but they declined to comment.
