Seattle. Two Greek-Americans were among the victims of the Seattle gun massacre which took place on May 30. 52-year-old Gloria Koch Leonidas and 45-year-old Drew Kyriakides were the Greeks who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Mentally ill Seattle man Ian Stawicki took their lives, bringing great sorrow upon two families.
The gunman killed five people in Seattle on Wednesday — four at a cafe and another in a carjacking — before he apparently shot himself as officers closed in following a citywide manhunt, authorities said.
The suspect died later Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
Gloria Koch Leonidas was a successful executive at a electricity products firm and filled many roles in her community. She and her husband Tom were actively involved in the local Greek Orthodox parish of St. Demetrios, where her husband and his father, also Thomas, served as President. She was also active as a volunteer at the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, the First Hill private school her daughters attended. Leonidas’ sister-in-law Diane is currently Parish Council Treasurer. Ian Stawicki fatally shot her in a parking lot at Eighth Avenue and Seneca street adjacent to Town Hall.
On stage, alternative musician Drew Kyriakedes often played a foul-mouthed, singing clown. Underneath the facade, he was a bighearted, romantic songwriter, according to friends and band mates, as the National Herald reports. The unlucky Greek-American was murdered in the Café Racer Espresso near the University premises, where artists, such as painters and musicians usually hang out.
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