AUBURN, Wash. — A 67-year-old man is in critical condition after someone fired a rifle into his car early Thursday.
Police said it happened at 1:20 a.m. as the victim was driving in the 2000 block of Fir Street Southeast in Auburn.
A stray bullet even hit a neighbor's truck.
“This is the shot, as you can see, it goes all the way through inside of the truck,” said Adlberto Rosles, a neighbor.
He said the gunfire woke his whole family up and they all dropped to the ground to take cover.
“It was really loud,” Rosles said. “Fast, really fast. Ten to 15 rounds straight."
Steven Yanish said his dad, Richard Yanish, got shot four times.
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“He was hit in the face, he was hit in the shoulder three times,” Yanish said. He said his dad has already had surgery twice – once to remove a bullet from his cheek and another to remove shrapnel from his eye.
Incredibly, Richard was still able to talk with police after getting shot.
“We know it's one suspect. What he was able to tell us was as he was driving down the street, a subject popped out into the street area and started shooting at him,” Commander Steve Stocker said.
His son said his dad is a Vietnam veteran and believes that military experience saved his life.
“Without that, he'd be dead right now. He was taught in an ambush situation, you get out of the vehicle, you get out of what they're aiming at, and that's what he did. He tucked and rolled,” Yanish said.
Family and Auburn police are searching for a motive.
“Why? Why?” Yanish said. “It's almost feeling like a personal attack on him. And my dad doesn't have enemies, so I’m flabbergasted,” Yanish said.
He said he’s thankful his father is in stable condition.
Auburn police say they’re looking for surveillance video to determine if the suspect ran away or got into a getaway car.
The department posted on Facebook:
“At this time, we do not have a suspect and do not have a motive for why he was the target of this shooting. We are asking if anyone has any information on this incident to please call the Auburn Police tip line at 253-288-7403 or 911.”
This #Auburn grandfather & Vietnam Vet is in the ICU. @AuburnWAPolice tells me he was coming home yesterday when someone started shooting at him on his quiet residential road! Reports of 15-25 shots. Suspect got away.
— Deedee Sun (@DeedeeKIRO7) March 2, 2019
Family has no IDEA *why* anyone would do this. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/XwSRDYGFt4
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