Troopers searching for man suspected of drive-by shooting, pointing gun at victim’s head

AUBURN, Wash. — Detectives with the Washington State Patrol are looking for witnesses to a drive-by shooting on State Route 167 near Auburn on Sunday.

At about 3:45 p.m., WSP communications received a 911 call from someone who witnessed a man being threatened with a gun on southbound SR 167 near the Ellingson Road exit.

Before troopers arrived at the scene, another witness called 911 and reported that the suspect had fled, driving southbound on SR 167.

The incident began when the victim, who was driving a Dodge pickup truck, was traveling SB SR 167 near State Route 18 and the suspect, who was driving a black or gray sedan, was driving next to the victim on the right shoulder.

The suspect struck the barrier on the right shoulder then hit the victim’s trailer.

The victim reported he did not know that his trailer was struck at the time, so he continued driving southbound.

The suspect then pulled up alongside the victim’s vehicle and threatened him with a handgun, telling him to pull over the vehicle.

After the victim pulled over, the suspect exited his vehicle and continued to threaten the victim.

He reportedly forced the victim to unhitch their trailer and put his gun to the victim’s head.

The suspect then fired one round over his head, towards the victim, and ran back to his vehicle before fleeing the scene.

No injuries were reported from the shooting.

The suspect is described as a black male in his twenties.

WSP confirmed that the suspect vehicle is a sedan, but have not confirmed the color, make or model of the vehicle.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information on the suspect or their vehicle is asked to contact WSP Detective Haake at Russ.Haake@wsp.wa.gov.

This is the 23rd shooting investigated by WSP detectives on King County freeways in 2022, according to a WSP news release.

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