He shot up his childhood friend’s Pierce County home over a ‘shoe transaction’
A Pierce County man is accused of shooting up his childhood friend’s house because the friend introduced him to a man who robbed him.
The drive-by shooting took place Jan. 25.
Five days later, the 20-year-old suspect was arrested in Bellevue on outstanding warrants for second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.
On Wednesday, Pierce County prosecutors charged the man with drive-by shooting and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Charging papers give this account:
The victim was working at a store when he began receiving increasingly angry text messages from his longtime friend.
“The defendant was angry that a man the victim had introduced to the defendant for a shoe transaction had ripped him off,” records say. The victim “had essentially vouched for the individual and the defendant claimed this person pulled a gun and shot at him.”
When the man sent his friend a message that he was coming to his work, the victim fled out an emergency exit and went home to check on his wife and baby girl.
Within five minutes, the victim heard gunshots.
He allegedly grabbed a handgun and went outside, where he returned fire after spotting his friend shooting at his home.
The suspect retreated into his vehicle and left.
No one was injured in the shooting.
Sheriff’s deputies found 13 casings outside the house and believe the victim’s home was struck 10 times.
One casing penetrated the walls and was found in a bathtub.
Detectives checked surveillance footage from the store and saw the suspect and another man searching the aisles and restrooms for the victim.
“The defendant is clearly the leader and can be seen walking with purpose as he goes through the various departments of the store” for 20 minutes, prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
At the time of the suspect’s arrest, police said he had a gun on him that marched casings found at the shooting scene.
He was also driving a vehicle with several bullet holes that had been covered with duct tape.
While being questioned by investigators, the suspect said he’d refused his friend’s offer to give him the money he lost in the shoe transaction.
The suspect has a 2019 conviction for felony harassment, records show.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 11:40 AM.
