UPDATE: After our initial report last week, many people have asked how they could show support for the young Magnolia woman who was the victim of an appearant hate crime.
We just got word from Barb Wade of an event in support of Hannah Geiger.
A community bar-b-que will be held at Magnolia Community Center, 2550 34th Ave W, on Wednesday, June 17 starting at 4pm as a show of support for Hannah Geiger and her family. Please help spread the word and join us as we show this family how much our community cares. Any questions, call Magnolia Community Center at (206) 386-4235.
The attack happened on June 1. Hannah Geiger says she was walking to the Magnolia Community Center about two and a half blocks from her house when the suspects jumped her.
“They kicked me and hit me, they hit me in the face where these bruises are, they got me almost all over. My back hurts from being kicked in the spine,” said Geiger. “I’m sure it’s a hate crime and that’s what gets to me, I don’t understand hate.”
Her mother Ruth Geiger is the pastor at the Magnolia United Methodist Church. She told the TV station that her daughter is a Special Olympian who had just won a silver medal and would much rather show off her medals instead of the deep bruises on her body.
Ruth adopted Hannah from Haiti as an infant with serious medical problems. But she’s overcome many of those ailments except a seizure disorder that requires brain surgery this summer.
“They were racial slurs and slurs about her mental capacity calling her stupid,” said Geiger.
Hannah has won 16 medals at the Special Olympics and all she wants to do is have fun and compete as an athlete. She has one simple question for the men who tried taking away all of her glory.
“All I would do is ask why,” said Geiger.
The attackers are described as white men in their late teens or 20’s with blonde hair. They were possibly driving a Honda. If you witnessed the attack or the suspects about 3:30 PM on Monday near the Magnolia Community Center call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Aimee // Jun 12, 2009 at 2:41 pm
This is horrific — I can’t believe the kind of things that are happening in our community. 1) Parents, lets be more aware of how your children think and how our attitudes and behaviour might rub off on /influence them. Let’s be responsible for our youth. 2) Community, let’s stand up and not allow this type of thing to happen. Maybe organize a anti-hate crime group or block watch once a week? I just moved to Magnolia and I’m appalled by this. Anyone interested in brainstorming with ideas can reach me at: tears_n_rain@hotmail.com.
2 watchful not paranoid // Jun 13, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Awful! Just awful! My heart is heavy. Poor young lady. You heal and the rest of us will watch out for these criminals. The next time you see them will be when they are being convicted.
We will find them.
3 Peace // Jun 13, 2009 at 6:04 pm
This is a terrible crime, I hope Magnolia’s black community will be ok.
4 jm // Jun 13, 2009 at 6:18 pm
This is just awful! Shame on Magnolia!
5 jm // Jun 14, 2009 at 10:21 am
Magnolia’s black community?
6 maria // Jun 14, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Why aren’t these guys caught yet? This happened in the daytime at around 330pm on a weekday from what I read when this first came out. It should be easy since people know pretty much everyone in the neighborhood. We can figure out who doesn’t belong there and if they do live in our neighborhood we should be watching for everyone’s safety. This is so sad, but I am glad she is okay now.
7 Beezes // Jun 14, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Yes,why haven’t they been caught? Someone must have seen this. Middle of the day, everyone leaving school, a bunch of boys beating up a girl and not one witness comes forward? Amazing.
8 jm // Jun 15, 2009 at 7:16 am
Why haven’t they been caught? No snitching among the rich of Magnolia.
9 leah // Jun 15, 2009 at 8:12 pm
it says that she was walking TO the CC, so she was probably on a residential street when it happened, not 34th.
10 Shame onleagh // Jun 15, 2009 at 8:59 pm
She is my neighbor they live on 34th learn your geography that is the only way to get to the CC when you live 2 blocks away! And why would it matter where it happened.
11 Beezes // Jun 16, 2009 at 8:34 am
Why haven’t any of the local media besides Fox News done any reporting on this heinous crime? A handicapped black girl gets beaten up by 2 white kids on the streets of Magnolia, a wealthy white enclave in Seattle, and not one newspaper does a report? Seriously, a hate crime of this severity should be a national story.
12 dd // Jun 16, 2009 at 9:48 am
Very comprehensive report in todays Seattle Times. This incident is just terrible. It makes me madder every time I think about it.
13 jm // Jun 16, 2009 at 10:02 am
“Why haven’t any of the local media besides Fox News done any reporting on this heinous crime?”
If the race of the suspects had been different and the victim white, you would never hear the end of it. The newspaper is going under so you can’t count on them. It took them two weeks to get this story.
14 MJ // Jun 16, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I think if this had been publicized right away, we wouldn’t be sitting here two weeks later wondering why the attackers haven’t been caught. The first time I heard that this happened on 34th was today. I live on 34th, probably within a block of where this occurred, and I’m sitting here trying to remember if I heard or saw anything TWO WEEKS AGO. That’s practically impossible, given all the car and foot traffic in front of my house at 3:30 every day. There are more than a few people who live close to me who are also home during the day.
Magnolia’s not that big. Are there really that many Honda-driving young men with blond hair?
15 Beezes // Jun 16, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Amazing, no witnesses. Broad daylight, two kids kicking and beating a girl on a busy street, righta fter school gets out. What’s wrong with people in Magnolia? Come forward!
People must be blind to the hate in this community.
16 maria // Jun 18, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Okay, first let me set some things straight. It is not a black community, however we are a tight knit community that care about everyone regardless of color or religion. I think people make assumptions and that’s why I am posting this.
I posted the comment about WHY they haven’t caught these criminals in a earlier post. I think you will see from the articles in the news that Magnolia has come together to support Hannah.
I couldn’t finish reading the initial story without balling at the computer. My son wanted to know why I was crying and said he knows Hannah. I told him everything so he will be aware. He is not white and is just starting to get a little freedom at 11 years old. I am not letting him ride his bike to and from school until further notice.
I saw the article like 2 days after it happened. I was out of town on the east coast and was stunned that this happened in Magnolia. I also read something about a drive by shooting off commodore?? Not really sure where that is, but just the same that is the first I have ever heard of these kinds of incidents in Magnolia.
I was really sad and think that we need to be focusing on how to catch these people and how to keep our kids safe. So, please stop with the finger pointing and assumptions on Magnolia. We don’t even know if this boys live here. If they do it won’t be tolerated. Actually, I am very frustrated that we have very little information on this.
JM~ don’t tell us shame on Magnolia. Read this article..
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009352517_webgeiger18m.html
Leah~ It was on 34th ave right by the school so is a very busy street. Hopefully if some little kids saw what happened now they can see how important this is and tell their parents and the police. We don’t have a lot of information and we weren’t there when it happened. Stop assuming things, because you are not helping.
We are not blind to the hate Beezes.. we are not used to this and are taken by surprise. Now that people are aware that this happened this will only help with the investigation and have people be on the lookout!
17 jwalseth // Jun 30, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I moved to Magtown from Montana in January; I am on 33rd a few blocks north of the scene of crime. Glad I checked into the Magnolia Voice online or I never would have known.
Very moving about the response of the community — wonderful. I am sure if the white supremacists have a rally in Magnolia they will be overwhelmed with counter demostration. That’s what we did in Bozeman when they tried to setup there. They stood in front of the courthouse on MLK’s birthday with their ‘white is right’ signs and Scandanavian flags, and a thousand of us marched by and looked at them like the insects they are. (Bozeman is about the size of Magnolia.) That was the last we heard of them.
jm is right though “If the race of the suspects had been different and the victim white, you would never hear the end of it.” In fact, there would be vigilantees on the street. And candidates for mayor would be visiting, talking about law and order.
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