Police Investigate Mass Shooting Incident on State Highway

Police are currently investigating a series of violent incidents that took place on Interstate 5 in Washington state on Monday night, labeling the events as “mayhem.” These separate shootings left six individuals injured, including a woman who suffered critical injuries, according to the Washington State Patrol.

A suspect linked to these shootings was arrested in the Tacoma area early Tuesday morning. Authorities had been actively searching for this individual, whose vehicle was reportedly connected to the incidents.

According to Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis, four of the reported shooting incidents involved a white Volvo. The investigation is ongoing, with Captain Ron Mead stating that their team is working to confirm whether a single vehicle was responsible for all shootings.

Loftis indicated that police are treating this scenario as a mass shooting event. He explained, “The only difference from this and other events that we see across the country in schools and parks… is that the area of the shooting was not confined to a very specific place or location.”

Details of the shootings suggest that there were two distinct bursts of violence along I-5. The first occurred within a 17-minute window from 8:26 p.m. to 8:43 p.m. local time. Loftis noted that the initial incident took place at the I-5 and State Road 18 interchange, where multiple shots were fired from a white Volvo, targeting a car passenger. The injured woman was taken to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition.

Shortly after the first attack, another victim reported being shot at near Martin Luther King Jr. Way around 8:42 p.m. This individual sustained minor injuries from broken glass but could not provide a description of the suspect vehicle. Just one minute later, another victim reported being grazed by a bullet while driving southbound on I-5.

The second wave of violence unfolded between 10:57 p.m. and 11:01 p.m., also southbound on I-5. At 10:57 p.m., a driver and their passenger reported that their vehicle was shot at by the same white Volvo, resulting in non-life-threatening leg injuries. This pair has since been released from the hospital.

Within minutes, another shooting connected to the same vehicle occurred near South 375 Street, but thankfully there were no injuries to report, just damaged windows. At 11:01 p.m., another victim reported being shot in the neck at a different location near 54th Avenue and was subsequently taken to a local hospital.

Subsequently, law enforcement was able to identify and apprehend the suspect. Late on Monday night, Pierce County sheriff’s deputies arrived at a potential suspect’s residence, but the vehicle was missing. Hours later, a deputy spotted the suspect vehicle entering an apartment complex.

With backup support, officers followed the vehicle. A Fircrest police officer deployed stop sticks to disable it. Upon stalling, deputies executed a felony stop and arrested the suspect, who complied without resistance.

The individual is now booked into King County Jail, facing charges of first-degree assault. Police have not disclosed the suspect’s identity or any possible motives for such violence.

Mead emphasized that the victims appear to have been chosen at random, describing the shootings as “unwarranted” and “unprovoked.” He lamented that anyone traveling could have easily fallen victim to the senseless acts of gun violence.

Authorities are still on the lookout for potential additional victims. For instance, one person traveling to Portland on the night of the shootings contacted police the following day after realizing their car may have been struck by gunfire.

Loftis encouraged anyone else who was in the vicinity during these incidents to come forward if they witnessed anything. Currently, while they suspect that all shootings may be related, investigators are piecing together information through credible evidence.