He planned for months to kill his brother, then he did it at work, records say

A man accused of fatally shooting his older brother at a Spanaway construction site Tuesday told someone three months ago that he planned to kill his brother, records say.

Bruce Johnson, 50, was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the death of Thomas Johnson, 52, of Lakewood.

He pleaded not guilty at arraignment, and Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Sabrina Ahrens set bail at $1 million.

The men were in the 1800 block of South Military Road when an argument broke out just before 3 p.m.

An employee who lives nearby was in his garage when he heard a gunshot.

He told sheriff’s deputies he ran to the end of his driveway and saw Thomas Johnson standing outside a work truck clutching his chest.

He heard a male voice coming from a different work truck yell an insult then fire another round.

Thomas Johnson dropped to the ground.

When deputies arrived, they found Thomas Johnson lying in the dirt at the corner of Military Road South and 18th Avenue Court South.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bruce Johnson allegedly drove to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where he told soldiers at the gate that he’d shot his brother and wanted to turn himself in.

A revolver was found on the front seat of the work truck, and bullets were scattered on the seat and floorboard.

Bruce Johnson told investigators the shooting was self-defense and that his younger brother was “responsible for murdering my mother and trying to murder me,” according to charging papers.

A manager with the construction company told deputies Bruce Johnson lived with his mother in SeaTac house until she died.

The brothers’ relationship turned ugly after their mom died because Bruce Johnson allegedly didn’t pay the bills and lost the house, records say.

A witness told investigators Bruce Johnson told him three months ago that he planned to shoot his brother.

Tina Johnson, who identified herself as Thomas Johnson’s wife, told reporters outside court that her mother-in-law died in 2010 and that Thomas Johnson did not kill her.

“Their mother, unfortunately, was killed in a car accident in 2010,” she said.

She said the brothers had only seen each other a couple times since 2010 and that they worked for different companies.

“I guess Bruce drove by where Tom was working,” she said of their encounter Tuesday.

She described her husband as a loving man.

“He loved his family and his grandkids,” she said.

This story was originally published March 27, 2019 at 2:01 PM.