Woman enraged by New Year's fireworks accused in shooting

LOCHSLOY, Wash. — Police said a woman who believed New Year’s partygoers were aiming fireworks at her home is suspected of shooting her neighbor.

The shots were fired in the 6400 block of 120th Drive Northeast about 12:30 a.m. in Lochsloy, between Lake Stevens and Granite Falls.

A witness told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News a 54-year-old woman, who was angry about fireworks she believed were being aimed at her property, shot her 24-year-old neighbor in the leg.

Neighbor Thomas Scott said he wasn't surprised by the shooting.

"She's been nothing but trouble since she's been out here.  It's like she's got something wrong with her mind.  Everybody's against her.  Everybody's out to get her," said Scott.

Police said the woman had confronted the victim and his friends several times during the evening about the fireworks before the gunshot was fired.  Neighbors told KIRO 7 reporter Jeff Dubois the victim antagonized the woman when she came out to complain.

The victim's sister-in-law said the woman hates fireworks.

"Last Fourth of July, she went crazy on the neighbors and like called the cops," she said.

Neighbors said this time the woman took matters into her own hands.

"What she said was, 'There better not be any more holes in my vehicle, or I'm going to bleeping kill somebody,'" said Scott.

"She got her gun out and went to fire a warning shot, but happened to hit him directly in the leg," said the victim's sister-in-law.

A witness said she and friends of the victim made a tourniquet to help stop the heavy bleeding from the man’s gunshot wound to his thigh.

The man was treated and later released from the hospital.

"Why did she come out with a gun to begin with, instead of just calling the police?  That's their  job," said Scott.

The woman was booked into the Snohomish County Jail and is expected to be charged with first-degree assault.

KIRO