Day drinking preceded fatal Bonney Lake shooting, prosecutors say. Murder charges filed
A 22-year-old man is accused of shooting his roommate to death in a Bonney Lake home over the weekend.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Jacob Michael Sottile with second-degree murder and first-degree assault for the Saturday night shooting that killed a 23-year-old man. Prosecutors allege that Sottile shot the victim and a 24-year-old man after an argument.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Sottile’s behalf at his arraignment Wednesday. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set his bail at $1.5 million.
The victim’s identity will be released by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Charging details
Pierce County deputies were dispatched to reports of a shooting at the 11000 block of 166th Avenue East. The 911 caller was Sottile, who allegedly stated he shot and killed his roommate. He said his roommate pulled a gun on him, and he was hiding in his bedroom, according to charging documents.
Sottile alleged the 24-year-old man who was also shot might have been trying to kill him. The owner of the residence also called 911 and said he was trying to perform CPR on the victim, prosecutors wrote.
At one point in the 911 call, Sottile was heard talking to someone in the background. He allegedly stated, “I had to, he drew on me.” He also said, “We were going to get robbed” and that someone was setting him up so he grabbed the gun out of the victim’s hand, documents show.
When deputies were en route, there was another call that a “bloody male” was walking south on McCutcheon Road East. That is a few blocks away from the shooting location. It was the 24-year-old man who was shot and survived his injuries, prosecutors wrote.
The man was shot multiple times in his legs. The man said that Sottile had barged into the house and shot him “for no [expletive] reason,” prosecutors wrote. Deputies learned that the owner was renting rooms to the victim and Sottile. The 24-year-old man was the victim’s friend and visiting at the time. The owner was not present during the shooting.
Prosecutors wrote that Sottile complied with deputies’ commands and was arrested. He was treated by fire department personnel for an apparently self-inflicted gunshot to the foot. A deputy allegedly heard him state, “Tell [the homeowner] that I am sorry. I’m a drunk.”
The homeowner told deputies he performed chest compressions on the victim, who was in Sottile’s bedroom. Deputies noted bullet holes in the door. The victim was declared deceased at the scene and from multiple gunshot wounds, prosecutors wrote.
The homeowner said he received a text from Sottile stating he just shot the victim. He thought Sottile and the victim were “best of friends.” He confirmed that Sottile does not own any guns and that he does not know if the victim did, prosecutors wrote.
Documents allege that Sottile used the homeowner’s firearm without his permission. The 24-year-old man said in a later interview that all three men were drinking all day in the victim’s room. He claimed Sottile and the victim were very drunk, prosecutors wrote.
When the victim and the man were leaving, they went to Sottile’s room to tell him. They found him lying on his bed with the homeowner’s handgun. The victim grabbed the gun, asking why he had it. Sottile said the homeowner told him to get the guns, prosecutors wrote. After the victim took the gun, Sottile allegedly grabbed another one and started shooting.
The 24-year-old man said he did not see the victim pointing the gun at Sottile and said the room was dark. After allegedly shooting the victim, Sottile shot the other man, who eventually escaped through a window.
A neighbor told deputies that he heard about 10 gunshots coming from the residence at the time of the shooting, prosecutors wrote.
The homeowner said a year earlier, Sottile took one of his guns without permission. Sottile took it in his car and was pulled over for speeding. The firearm was recovered, and he was charged because he did not have a concealed pistol license. Sottile claimed he needed the gun for protection, prosecutors wrote.
When the owner arrived following the shooting, Sottile was in his bedroom. Sottile had his shotgun and two pistols on the bed with him. Sottile was on the phone with 911, and, when asked to do CPR, he refused so the owner had to, prosecutors wrote.
Detectives noted in the 911 call that Sottile’s speech was slurred, and he repeated statements many times. He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Sottile claimed he took the gun from the victim during the altercation, prosecutors wrote.
