A 33-year-old man who died last week after accidentally shooting himself in Spanaway has been identified as James Roberts.
Pierce County sheriff’s investigators said the shooting occurred about 6:15 p.m. Saturday near a transient camp in the 13100 block of A Street South.
Roberts was homeless.
His death initially was investigated as a homicide because sheriff’s deputies found ammunition on the ground near Roberts’ body, but no sign of a gun.
Witnesses later revealed someone hid the firearm after the shooting.
Roberts was dry-firing the weapon and racking rounds in and out of its chamber, investigators said. He pointed the gun at himself and pulled the trigger, and a chambered round went off and killed him.
Stacia Glenn: 253-597-8653
Comments