He called his brother a ‘punk,’ and then the brother opened fire, charging papers say

A brotherly dispute that turned to gunfire in East Pierce County landed one of the siblings in court Wednesday.

Pierce County prosecutors charged the 21-year-old with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting his brother Tuesday at their Burnett-area home, south of Buckley.

Superior Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered the man held without bail, pending an evaluation to determine if he’s competent to stand trial.

Charging papers give this account of what happened:

The siblings and a third brother were in a bedroom of the home in the 27600 block of 153rd Street East about midday, when the 21-year-old and 28-year-old brother exchanged words.

At some point, the 21-year-old threw a piece of wood at the 28-year-old but missed. He then grabbed a handgun, shot the older brother multiple times and left.

The men’s father — who also lives at the home — and the third brother drove the victim to a nearby store for help.

Emergency workers took the wounded man to St. Joseph Medical Center to be treated for what appeared to be gunshot wounds to his side, back, leg and wrist.

His condition wasn’t available Wednesday, but officials said he had been stable and talking after the shooting, and that he underwent surgery.

He said he’d called his 21-year-old brother a “punk,” and that afterward the 21-year-old shot him about five times, for no reason, from about three feet away.

Sheriff’s SWAT team members found the 21-year-old at the family’s home and he was arrested.

The man said he told his older brother he could knock his teeth in, and that he fired when the older brother charged him.

He said he went outside, asked someone to call 911, returned to the house, reloaded the gun, locked it up and listened to music until he was arrested.

Investigators said the man’s statements were disjointed. He told them he has a brain injury, and struggles with his memory. His family is a threat to him, he said, though he didn’t explain how.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 3:41 PM with the headline "He called his brother a ‘punk,’ and then the brother opened fire, charging papers say."