A suspect has turned himself in following the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old University of Washington student in Seattle, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Police said 31-year-old Christopher Leahy surrendered to Bellevue authorities at around 10:20 pm Wednesday night. He was later interviewed by Seattle homicide detectives before being booked into the King County Jail for investigation of murder.
The arrest comes days after the deadly stabbing inside the laundry room of the Norheim Court Apartments on May 10. The victim, identified by authorities as a transgender woman and student at the University of Washington, died following the attack.
Campus community members have continued leaving flowers and memorials outside the apartment building as investigators work to determine what led to the attack.
Who is Christopher Leahy?
Authorities have released limited public information about Christopher Leahy so far.
According to Seattle police, Leahy is 31 years old and has a history of “crises.” Officials said he surrendered to police after family members in Bellevue reportedly urged him to turn himself in.
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Before the arrest, investigators circulated surveillance images of a suspect described as a light-skinned Black male with a thin build and a goatee. The individual seen in the footage was wearing a dark blue zip-up shirt with a distinct white emblem and a white collared shirt underneath.
Police have not publicly disclosed whether Leahy knew the victim or had any prior connection to the University of Washington community.
Authorities also said a motive for the attack remains unclear at this stage of the investigation.
The killing left students unsettled, with some expressing concerns about safety around the university area in the days before the suspect surrendered. “Obviously there’s a lot of fear being in and around campus,” UW student Pierce Wallbaum told Fox 13 Seattle. “The chance of coming together as a community is something we are really in need of right now.”
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As the investigation continues, students and residents have gathered near the apartment complex to leave flowers and memorial tributes in honor of the victim.
Police say more updates could be released as detectives continue examining the case.
