Elderly suspect in Gig Harbor fires gun at man he thought was stealing. He wasn’t
A 70-year-old man was arrested Saturday night outside a grocery store in Gig Harbor after police say he wrongly confronted and fired his weapon at a man he thought was shoplifting.
The victim, 40, was shot in the neck, according to Gig Harbor police. He was conscious and alert after the shooting and was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma for treatment. He was later released and gave a statement to Gig Harbor detectives.
About 11:20 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a store in the 4800 block of Point Fosdick Drive after a report of a shooting.
According to witnesses, the older man confronted the victim as he was exiting the store with store merchandise.
“The suspect wrongly believed that the victim was stealing the merchandise and blocked the exit with his grocery cart and body,” a news release reads.
The two began to fight, then the older man pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired the weapon at least twice, according to police. One bullet struck the victim, the other the store’s glass door.
When police arrived, the man identified himself as the shooter and complied with officers.
He was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault.
This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 10:11 AM.
