Man charged with shooting up Orting house party
The house party in Orting was in full swing by the time a drunken man began randomly shooting Friday.
One partygoer was shot in the right arm. The bullet traveled through his chest and lodged in his left arm.
Friends drove the man to a hospital before police arrived at the home in the 16000 block of 264th Street East, according to court records.
The shooter, who authorities allege was 19-year-old Isaiah Bickham, and most of the other underage partygoers fled. The teen was arrested later that night.
Bickham, driving without headlights, was taken into custody after nearly hitting a Washington State Patrol trooper’s car, court records show.
On Monday, Bickham pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault, felony harassment, drive-by shooting, driving under the influence, third-degree driving on a suspended license and being a minor exhibiting effects of having consumed liquor.
He was ordered jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Charging papers give this account:
Bickham was at the party when he noticed some gang members he believed had killed a friend. He went to his Chevrolet pickup and grabbed a gun.
After a fight broke out, “Bickham stated he then began indiscriminately firing his 9mm handgun into the crowd. Bickham said he ran from the party and also fired blindly behind him as he ran,” court records state.
Police estimated 20 shots were fired. Shells from a 9mm and .45-caliber handgun were found at the house.
Shortly after the shooting, a deputy stopped a Chevy pickup that was driving erratically and that earlier had almost sideswiped a trooper’s car.
Three minors got out of the pickup when the deputy asked but Bickham remained inside because he couldn’t figure out how to put the truck in park, according to charging papers.
The deputy said Bickham appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. He has a prior DUI conviction, records show.
Stacia Glenn: 253-597-8653
This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Man charged with shooting up Orting house party."