Police said argument over woman led to shooting

Puyallup, Wash. — His father may be known as a successful car salesman and automobile dealership owner, but Jacob Korum is better known for a series of robberies and kidnappings targeting drug dealers in the late 1990s. Now Korum, 35, is once again at the center of a police investigation after a shooting in the driveway of his Puyallup home. Korum is the son of Bill Korum, who owns several large well known dealerships in the Puyallup area.

According to police sources, the boyfriend of a woman Korum is believed to be dating showed up at his home around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. After a brief argument, the man left, then returned to the home, demanding money he claimed Korum owed him. Police said at some point during the confrontation someone pulled a gun and fired several shots into the pickup truck driven by the man arguing with Korum. "It just sounded like a big boom," said Ciara Trammell who lives down the street, "I thought it was thunder at first." Andrea Ireland, who is staying with relatives while visiting from California, also heard the shooting. "I heard six shots and squealing tires," said Ireland. Although there were four people in the truck, no one was hit by the gunfire and the driver managed to get away and call police. His name has not been released.

Korum was arrested in 1997 after series of holdups targeting the homes of drug dealers. He and several other men posed as Pierce County Sheriff's deputies to get into the homes, often holding their victims at gunpoint before handcuffing and duct taping them. Korum pleaded guilty to robbery and kidnapping charges after his arrest, but later withdrew his plea and was convicted in a trial. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Korum successfully appealed his conviction and had several charges dropped and his sentence reduced.

Puyallup police have not made an arrest in connection with the shooting at Korum's home because so far, they don't know who fired the shots. Capt. Scott Engle said even though four people were in the truck and five people in the driveway at the time, no one has identified the shooter. Engle characterized the witnesses as "mildly cooperative." He said the investigation is still underway.

Korum is already facing a trial on an unrelated assault charge after his arrest in May. In that case, a man claimed Korum shot at him during a road rage incident in Puyallup but police were unable to determine whether shots were fired. A 9mm Glock semiautomatic pistol was found near the scene of a collision near Korum's home, but he denied the gun was his. The trial in that case has been scheduled for October.

KIRO