Pierce County man accused of fatally shooting father for ‘no apparent reason’
A Pierce County man is accused of fatally shooting his 63-year-old father at a close range Friday night.
Prosecutors charged Michael Paul Courtney, 41, with first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Courtney’s behalf during his arraignment Monday afternoon. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set bail at $1 million.
“The defendant is charged with shooting his father at close range with a shotgun for no apparent reason,” prosecuting attorney Elizabeth Vincent said during the hearing.
Vincent also said there are concerns for Courtney’s mental health. After imposing the $1 million bail, McInvaille ordered a no-contact order with his mother.
The identification of the victim has not yet been released, pending confirmation from the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Charging details
Deputies were dispatched at about 8:05 p.m. to the 400 block of 142nd Street Court East near Parkland for a shooting in a home. Courtney’s mother reported that her son shot her husband in the chest and that the victim needed medical attention, according to charging documents.
When deputies arrived, they saw Courtney changing positions inside the house, presumably to not be seen, documents show.
Deputies tried to communicate with Courtney, but he was yelling and did not comply, documents show. When deputies saw Courtney’s father lying at the top of the steps and covered in blood, they went up to drag him down. Medical aid was provided, but he was pronounced dead at 8:27 p.m. by a doctor in an ambulance.
After negotiations from deputies, Courtney came out of the house at 8:52 p.m.
Detectives spoke to Courtney’s mother who said she and her husband were in separate rooms watching a Mariner’s baseball game. They spoke back and forth, and he eventually got up to go towards the stairs to get his medicine, according to charging documents.
The mother said she heard Courtney talking as if he was communicating with another person. She asked her husband who Courtney was talking to, so he went up the stairs to ask him. She then heard her husband ask, “Are you pointing a gun at me?” A gunshot rang out, documents show.
Courtney’s mother said she ran to the stairs and saw her husband lying there and that her son allegedly was standing over him. She did not remember seeing a gun. She said she called 911 and ran out of the home.
Documents show a 12-guage shotgun was found on a bed. Deputies collected the shotgun, the fired shell and a pellet gun that had a scope.
Courtney has previous convictions in Pierce County for third-degree assault domestic violence from 2011, fourth-degree assault and obstructing a law enforcement officer from 2009.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
