By Lindsay Peyton

David Kramer says that most of the people who pass by his motorhome, parked on the shoulder of Harbor Ave SW, leave him alone.

“There are more nice people in West Seattle than anything,” he said.

It’s the odd passerby who honks, cusses or makes a rude remark that gets to him.

And even worse is the person – at least he hopes it’s only one – who has been shooting out the windows in his RV, the one belonging to his son, as well as others stationed throughout the neighborhood.

Kramer understands that residents might find the motorhome an eyesore – but he wishes they would consider his situation.

“We’re just surviving here,” he said. “We can get moving – but I have to beat this cancer first.”

Kramer is from West Seattle – and moved into the RV only recently, when rising costs of rent began competing with his cancer treatment. He was given only one year to live before starting a clinical trial with Seattle Cancer Care.

“They called it ‘catastrophic stage four,’” Kramer recalled.

His son Daylin Kramer and his girlfriend moved into another motorhome and parked nearby.

Daylin wanted to be available to drive his father to treatment and take care of him throughout his radiation and immunotherapy treatment.

At first they both parked near Westwood Village but David said the Seattle Police Department told him to move to his current location. He has been in the same spot for months now.

The first incident was in September.

“Some lady drove up Harbor Ave drunk and slammed into my motorhome, then took off,” David said. “ I chased her but couldn't catch her. I had been standing next to the motorhome when she hit. Her car looked almost totaled. The police said they believed the license plates were stolen.”

The most recent incident was on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Daylin’s car window was shot – and a neighbor up the street also lost a window.

Just a couple of nights before that, Daylin and his girlfriend were sitting in their motorhome, when someone shot a BB gun at their window, shattering the glass.

David said his window was shot as well. In total, he has lost five windows during five different drive-bys. He covered each one up with plywood.

David worries about his son being hurt by the shots. “You just don’t do that, period,” he said. “It’s wrong. I want that person to go to jail.”

He said two times he and his son saw a new white pickup truck in the area after committing the crime. He hopes that the public will help identify the person responsible – and stop the dangerous BB gun shooting spree.

Police are still investigating the shootings.

Daylin said he often hears angry people making remarks and honking while driving by his motorhome.

“All day, their horns are blaring,” he said.

He wishes they had more compassion. “Anyone can be put in this situation,” he said.

Sean Whitcomb, spokesman for the Seattle Police Department, said the Kramer’s story sounded like deliberate intimidation or harassment.

“Anyone who is concerned about behavior that is harassing or intimidating is a concern for us,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if the caller is living in an apartment or living in a RV. People who are homeless are vulnerable – and deserve the same level of service as anyone else.”

Whitcomb said officers are invested in capturing the person responsible. “Vandalism isn’t something we take lightly,” he said.

Council member Lisa Herbold, district one, agreed that this criminal case is a cause for concern.

“If the RV is being targeted because a homeless person lives there, it also likely a hate crime,” she said. “Our City has a zero tolerance for hate crimes.”

She added that David and others who may have experienced criminal activity based upon their homelessness, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation may make reports to Seattle Police Department’s hate crimes complaint page at www.seattle.gov/police/need-help/hate-crimes-and-bias-crimes.