BLAINE, Wash. — The man who opened fire on Tuesday at the Peace Arch border crossing was identified on Wednesday as tattoo artist Andrew "Andy" Crews.
Crews, who was originally from Nevada, recently moved to Seattle from Kitsap County.
Crews shot himself fatally on the Canadian side of the border crossing. A bullet also hit Canada Border Services Agency Officer Lori Bowcock in the neck.
Bowcock is out of surgery and in stable condition. She is expected to make a full recovery.
Customs and Immigration Union President Jean Pierre Fortin said on a Canadian radio show on Wednesday that the shooting of may have been an accident. "Apparently," Fortin said, "(he) put the gun towards his head and shot himself in the head; the bullet went through his head and also hit the throat of one of our officers."
However, shooting witness Maxine Hamm said that she heard two distinctive gunshots. "For sure, two," she said. "It was a bang, and then a bang so there was a little space of time in between."
According to Canadian news outlets, another union official later confirmed that two shots were fired, and that this morning's statement was incorrect. In fact, the official said that the shooter may have waited 10-15 seconds to fire the shot that killed him.
Investigators said they don't know what caused Andrew Crews to open fire. His family said they became worried hours before the shooting. According to his stepfather, Crews sent a text to his mother on Tuesday, saying he loved her and that he was sorry.
Crews' cousin, Keith Munyon, told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News he recognized Crews' white van as he watched news coverage of the border shooting. Munyon said Crews was a fun-loving, positive-thinking musician.
Munyon said he knew Crews recently slept in a mattress in the back of his van. Munyon said Crews had friends in Canada.