www.breakawaybrazil.com

Richard Swanson was killed after being hit by a vehicle while trekking from Seattle to Brazil.

A Seattle man who felt “destined” to go on a 10,000-mile fundraising journey to soccer’s World Cup in Brazil, dribbling a soccer ball along the way, has died just two weeks into his journey.

Richard Swanson, 42, was hit by a pickup truck in Lincoln City, Ore., on Tuesday morning, along Highway 101, Lincoln City police said. Swanson left May 1 on a trip that would have taken him through 11 countries before he reached Sao Paolo, Brazil, the site of soccer tournament.

Swanson, a Seattle resident, was documenting his adventure on his website, BreakAwayBrazil.com, where he was also asking for donations for the One World Futbol Project – an organization that donates sturdy soccer balls to youth in developing countries.

“We are extremely saddened to hear the news about Richard. He was a very inspiring man, our thoughts are with his family,” One World Futbol tweeted on Tuesday after learning of Swanson’s death.

Swanson was a private investigator for years, and then a graphic designer. A father of two grown sons, he got laid off from his job last year and was looking for an adventure.

“I felt destined that I should go on this trip,” Swanson, who five years ago discovered a love for soccer, told the Longview, Wash., Daily News on May 7.

In a YouTube video he recorded of himself on his website, Swanson addressed how wild the idea of walking from Seattle to Brazil sounded – but he said he’s always wanted to go to the World Cup.

“Screw what happens. I don’t even care, I should just take off, out the door, and start hoofing it and head south,” he said he found himself thinking, with little disposal income after getting laid off.

Then he took the idea further.

“Since I’m going to the World Cup, I should honor it by dribbling a soccer ball, which makes the trip even more crazy. Of course I batted the idea around a little and thought, 'This is lunacy.'”

What convinced him was running the idea by a friend, who told him about the One World Futbol project. The part-adventure, part-fundraiser was born.

“Part of the trip was for myself, but part of it was for all the people who can’t do things like this,” he said in the video. “They have their responsibilities. They can’t leave their jobs they’ve been at for 10-plus years. They have mortgages, they have young kids.”

The trip came to a tragic end on Tuesday when Swanson was hit on the shoulder of the highway at around 10 a.m., Lincoln City Police Lt. Jerry Palmer said. Swanson was seriously injured and died at the hospital, Palmer said.

“He had his backpack that he was living out of, his cell phone, and his little soccer ball that he was working his way south with,” Palmer said.

No charges have been filed. Palmer said a district attorney will determine in the next couple of days whether charges are necessary.

Kristi Schwesinger, a friend of Swanson’s in Seattle, told The Associated Press that Swanson had started out his trek in flip-flops. After 13 nights, he switched to hiking sandals, she said. He spent two of his nights in Vancouver, Wash., with his son, Devin, and spent the other nights sleeping on strangers’ couches.

"It was all by word of mouth, Facebook, media contacts, friends and family who put the word out," Schwesinger told The AP.

He spent Monday night in Lincoln City, where he got to take a soak in a hot tub. Schwesinger  said he was headed to Newport, Ore., next, and didn’t know where he was going to stay.

"The hardest thing is he was so young," Schwesinger told The AP. "Just today we were planning his surprise birthday party for Sunday. He was so young, so full of life, so excited by the journey he was on. To be taken from us so soon is really heartbreaking."

This story was originally published on Wed May 15, 2013 4:19 AM EDT

Ted S. Warren / AP

A Seattle Police officer with a baton tries to fend off protesters during a May Day anti-capitalism protest that ended with demonstrators clashing with police on Wednesday.

SEATTLE -- Protesters clashed with police in Seattle on Wednesday as a May Day rally that began peacefully turned violent after dark, with demonstrators hurling objects at officers who responded with flash-bang grenades and pepper spray.

One protester was seen using a skateboard to smash windows at a Walgreens drug store in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood, and others overturned trash cans and lined up newspaper display racks to block police.

Matt Mills Mcknight / Reuters

A demonstrator attempts to break a window of a pharmacy in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood during May Day demonstrations Wednesday.

Officers in riot gear, some riding in armored SWAT vehicles, repeatedly used the flash-bang grenades and tried to disperse the crowd.

Seattle police said that as of 9 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET), 11 adults and two juveniles had been arrested for assaults and property damage. Several people were shown on local TV stations being taken into custody.

Seattle police said in a tweet that one officer was injured by a thrown object. His condition was not immediately clear.

The violence broke out as darkness fell in Seattle following a day of May Day rallies in cities across the U.S. West that were planned by a coalition of organized labor activists, students, civil rights advocates and members of the clergy to call for an overhaul of immigration laws.

In Los Angeles, thousands of protesters marched through downtown waving American flags and carrying signs with the slogan, "Stop deportations."

The demonstrators chanted in Spanish, "Obama! Escucha! Estamos en la lucha!" ("Obama! Listen! We are in the fight!"), as they marched down one of downtown's main thoroughfares.

The march spanned across more than two large city blocks, and one police officer told Reuters that unofficial estimates put the size of the crowd at roughly 3,500 people. No arrests were reported.

In Arizona, where a state crackdown against illegal immigration was signed into law three years ago, several hundred people joined a late-afternoon rally outside the state Capitol in Phoenix, ahead of a march through downtown.

The protests come about two weeks after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced an 844-page bill, backed by President Barack Obama, that would rewrite many U.S. immigration laws.

A centerpiece of the measure would create a path to legal status and ultimately citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

It also aims to secure the U.S. border with Mexico against illegal entry and to make it easier for industry, particularly high-tech businesses and agriculture, to hire workers from abroad when needed.

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NBC News in depth: Immigration Nation

Ted S. Warren / AP

Police officers walk near evidence markers at the scene of an overnight shooting that left five people dead at the Pinewood Village apartment complex in Federal Way, Wash.

Five people were killed in a shooting at an apartment complex near Seattle late on Sunday, including a suspect who was shot by officers, police said.

Officers were alerted to a shooting in progress at around 9:30 p.m. local time (12:30 a.m. ET) by an emergency call from the complex in Federal Way, which is between Seattle and Tacoma, police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said in a statement.

Gunshots were still being heard when officers arrived at the complex, she added. 

"As officers assessed the scene two males could be seen in the parking lot injured," Schrock said.  "An officer attempted to rescue the men, and as the (police officer) approached, one of the males on the ground reached for a weapon."

This led to police officers firing on the suspects, she said. Three men were confirmed dead in the parking lot, and a woman and another man were found dead in a nearby apartment, police said.

No officers were injured in the incident, and eight police were placed on administrative leave after the shootings. This is standard policy for officers involved in shootings, Schrock said.

While there was no word on what caused the gunfire, police said they did not think another shooter was on the loose. Police said they would provide more information at a 11:30 a.m. PT (2:30 p.m. ET) press conference.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

AP Photo / Ted S. Warren

An aerial photo shows before and after images of a landslide near Coupeville, Wash., on Whidbey Island, Wednesday, March 27, 2013.

A 1500-foot-deep landslide that rumbled down a scenic Washington state island shoreline early Wednesday is part of an ongoing geological movement that may date back 11,000 years, according to a preliminary report.

The dawn slide shifted the equivalent of 40,000 dump-truck loads of soil on Whidbey Island, located about 50 miles outside of Seattle.

It washed a road away, wiped out power lines and water mains, and plunged one home off the island's crumbling bluff, while threatening or cutting off access to 34 others.

An early report by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Division of Geology & Earth Resources, published late Thursday [PDF link], said the movement was “a small portion of a much larger landslide complex, approximately 1.5 miles long, that was prehistoric and may date back as far as 11,000 years.”

Ted S. Warren / AP

An aerial photo shows a landslide near Coupeville, Wash. on Whidbey Island, Wednesday.

The slide displaced approximately 5.3 million square feet, or about 200,000 cubic yards of earth, the report said.

More homes could be lost as the ground continues to shift, officials have told residents.

“The chance of another catastrophic movement is low, but possible,” it said in its "Ear to the Ground" blog about the incident.

"I used to say 'in a million years we'll have waterfront property,' and now I can say 100 years or tomorrow. It's unbelievable," resident Nancy Skullerud told NBC affiliate KING-5 news in Seattle.

“It’s taken a while to soak it in to realize that life changes in five minutes,” Skullerud said. “Mother Nature always wins.”

It could be months before some residents have full access to their homes following the landslide, firefighters on Whidbey Island said Thursday, reported KING-5. Four homes were "yellow-tagged," the affiliate reported, meaning residents were allowed limited access to them.

A Red Cross relief center was set up earlier in the week for people forced to evacuate. 

In Western Washington, the majority of landslides are triggered during fall and winter after storms dump large amounts of rain or snow. Landslides are relatively common in the area, but one of this magnitude is rare.

NBC's Elizabeth Chuck contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:32 AM EDT

SEATTLE -- A suspected drunken driver slammed into a family crossing the street in a residential Seattle neighborhood, critically injuring a baby and his mother and killing his grandparents, authorities said. The grandparents had recently moved from the Midwest to be near the newborn child. 

Karina Schulte, 33, and her 10-day-old son were in critical condition Tuesday afternoon, said Liz Hunter, a spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Grandparents Dennis Schulte, 66, and Judith Schulte, 68, died at the scene Monday.

Judith Schulte's sister, Susan Morton, said the retired Indiana couple were walking Monday afternoon with their daughter-in-law and the baby when they were stuck.

Karina Schulte "had the baby in a sling on the front. He just hit all four of them," said Morton, of Cottonwood, Minn., in a telephone interview.

Mark Mullan, 50, was ordered held on $2.5 million bail during a court hearing Tuesday. He is being held on investigation of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. Prosecutors have until Thursday to formally charge him.

In court documents, a Seattle police officer investigating the crash said he smelled alcohol on Mullan's breath and that Mullan showed impairment during sobriety tests. A preliminary test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.22 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08, the officer said in court documents.

No valid license
Mullan told police he was unable to see the pedestrians at an intersection in a residential neighborhood because the sun was in his eyes, according to court documents.

His license was suspended at the time of the crash, according to the documents.

"He does not have a valid license," said Brad Benfield, a spokesman with the Department of Licensing.

It was unclear Tuesday whether Mullan had legal representation. A message left with an attorney who represented him in a drunken driving case in December was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Mullan didn't answer reporters' questions as police led him away from the scene of the crash in handcuffs Monday. Police said he stopped after the crash and was cooperative. A phone number listed for Mullan was disconnected.

Morton said Karina Schulte, who is from Chile, is a pediatric nurse specialist and is dedicated to her work.

Dennis and Judith Schulte were both longtime high school teachers; she taught English and was a head guidance counselor for years, while he taught math.

They had moved to Seattle from Kokomo, Ind., in February to witness the birth of their first grandson.

They had planned to spend six months in Seattle to be near their son and his family. They were renting an apartment near the intersection where they were killed.

"They were so elated. This is their only grandchild," Morton said. "They wanted to be there when he was born. They got to hold him and be there with him for 10 days."

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The King County Sheriff's Office is trying to find Michael Boysen, the grandson of an elderly couple found dead in their Renton, Wash., home on Saturday.

An "extremely dangerous" ex-con was being hunted Monday in the Pacific Northwest after his elderly grandparents were found slain, officials said.

Michael "Chad" Boysen, 26, was staying with his grandparents in the Seattle suburb of Renton, Wash., shortly after being released from prison, King County Sheriff’s Department 911 supervisor Susan Chapin said.

A relative became concerned when she couldn’t reach the grandparents and they did not return phone calls. When she drove to their house, she found their bodies about 7 p.m. (10 p.m. ET) local time Saturday, Chapin said. Their names have not been released.

Police confirmed that a warrant had been issued for Boysen's arrest on suspicion of first-degree murder.

“He was staying there. The couple’s car was taken. There was no sign of forced entry into the home. He was just released from prison after serving a year for burglary,” Chapin said.

Further investigation indicated that Boysen had been searching online for places to buy guns, including gun shows, in Washington state and Nevada.

Police have called him “extremely dangerous.”

“I think the fact that he’s believed to have killed two people who were close to him and then he starts looking for guns, we should consider him armed and dangerous,” Chapin said.

Washington state’s gun laws require a waiting period for handguns purchased through a dealer.

Boysen is 5 foot 10 and 170 pounds with dark hair and hazel eyes. He is thought to be driving a red 2001 Chrysler 300. The car’s original tags, which may have been changed, were Washington plates bearing the number 046 XXU.

Police say that Boysen should not be approached and that anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately.

"I can't stress how dangerous this guy is," King County Sheriff John Urquhart said at a Monday news conference. He said Boysen had made threats against family members and law enforcement officials, but he did not elaborate.

"We have to catch him as soon as we can," Urquhart said.

Urquhart said the grandparents were not shot, but he declined to provide other details about their killings, pending autopsies.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

SEATTLE -- Pet owners in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle are outraged after someone purposely dumped cayenne pepper all over an area. 

They claim it burnt a dog's paws and could make others sick. 

"It's absolutely despicable, their intentions is what scares me," said Monica Gujral Wallace, who's dog was burnt by the pepper. 

Emptied out bottles of pepper are scattered on the ground. Piles of the spice were purposely put there for pets. 

Read original story on KING5.com

"How does that even get into your head? Are you that evil?" said Gujral Wallace. 

Gujral Wallace was walking her dog Buddha on Sunday when she came in contact with it. 

"It's burned the legs of my dog, it's caused several hundred dollars in vet bills," she said. 

While cayenne pepper isn't toxic, veterinarians say it causes a burning sensation and can be worse if swallowed. 

"It upsets the stomach, burns the inside and may cause a little diarrhea," said Dr. Zile Singh, a veterinarian at Greenwood Animal Hospital. 

Fredda Starr is the person responsible. 

The property manager of the "Greenwood Court Manor" apartments says people weren't picking up after their pets. 

"I do love dogs, but I don't like all the poo that they leave over the ground," said Starr. 

She agreed to stop. 

"I'm sorry that it hurt the little dog, what I'm going to do is dilute it as best I can and put up some signs," she said. 

Gujral Wallace says she plans to get the community involved in keeping the area clean. 

While a complaint was filed with Seattle Police, Starr wasn't charged with any crimes. 

A gunman shot his ex-girlfriend and an employee at a Seattle bar before being killed by police Sunday night, authorities said.

The shooter walked into The Twilight Exit about 10:15 p.m. local time (1:15 a.m ET Monday) and opened fire, first wounding his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend then a 30-year-old bar worker who tried to intervene, Seattle police said in a statement.

Police said the suspect later raised his gun and fired at them. One officer returned fire, killing the man.

The victims were taken to a hospital and their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, police said. The gunman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said there were  "a number of witnesses" inside the bar when the shooting occurred.

The Twilight Exit's Facebook page has more than 2,800 "likes" and customers were already posting messages of concern early Monday.