SEATTLE — At least seven vehicles traveling on Interstate 5 just south of Seattle were hit by gunfire overnight, wounding at least six people before a suspect was taken into custody, authorities said Tuesday.
State police have not released information about the suspect in the shooting that left two people in critical condition and said they would not speculate on his motives. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the prosecutor.
Washington State Police have been involved in 37 active investigations into shootings on highways in King County, which includes Seattle, so far this year, similar to the previous two years, Capt. Ron Mead said at a news conference. Statewide, there have been 57 in 2024, he said.
The latest gunfire began at 8:26 p.m. Monday on northbound Interstate 5, state police spokesman Chris Loftis said. Someone in a white Volvo fired several shots, hitting the driver and passenger of a nearby car, he said. The female passenger was hospitalized in critical condition, he said.
About 15 minutes later, another car was struck farther north on I-5 and the passenger was injured by flying glass, Loftis said. A minute later, another person reported being shot at by an unknown vehicle, he said. The person was taken to a hospital with a leg injury.
Three hours later, on southbound I-5 in Pierce County, three more cars were struck, Loftis said. A passenger in one of the cars had his legs injured, while another victim was struck in the neck and hospitalized, he said.
The driver of the seventh vehicle hit did not immediately realize he had been hit until he arrived in Portland, Oregon, and heard about the shooting on the news, Loftis said. That victim plans to return to Washington to assist with the investigation, he added.
Although not all of the victims saw where the gunfire came from, police believe the person in the Volvo was responsible for all of the shootings based on the timing and location of the shots.
“A shooting on a highway is just one of many,” Mead said. “Seven shootings by a single individual in a short period of time only weakens people’s confidence in our transportation system, which they should be using safely.”
Shortly after the latest shooting, a police officer saw a white Volvo enter an apartment complex in Fircrest, a town about 37 miles south of Seattle. The car fled the scene, officers were able to stop it and the suspect was taken into custody.
Mead and Loftis said they had no motive and would not speculate on why he shot at random vehicles on the highway.
“The fact that someone would intend to create harm and chaos for others, while they’re just driving down the highway to get somewhere, I think we can all agree, and I hope, is unacceptable,” Mead said.
washingtontimes
