2 killed during Key Peninsula dispute over ‘guns and/or drugs’

A husband and wife were shot dead during a domestic dispute in front of a Key Peninsula motor home early Saturday morning, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The dispute is believed to have been over “guns and/or drugs,” Troyer said, though there is a domestic relationship between at least one half of the married couple and a resident of the motor home. One suspect is in custody and no others are being sought.

Both the 35-year-old man and 24-year-old woman who were killed and the 27-year-old suspect were well known to deputies. Multiple weapons were recovered at the scene on the 5500 block of Whiteman Road and preliminary investigations indicate the suspect and the victims fired shots, Troyer said.

The suspect surrendered to sheriff’s deputies when they saw him walking down a road in the area, Troyer said.

The suspect had been released on his own recognizance in January after being charged in Pierce County Superior Court with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, Troyer said. He was not supposed to associate with known drug users or possess firearms.

Deputies found a 2-year-old boy in the vehicle the victims drove to the scene. The boy was uninjured and is now with relatives, Troyer said.

Deputies responded shortly before 3 a.m. to a 911 call placed by a woman using a cellphone. She reported that shots had been fired.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

This story was originally published February 3, 2018 at 11:27 AM with the headline "2 killed during Key Peninsula dispute over ‘guns and/or drugs’."