1 injured as shooting erupts in Auburn’s Lea Hill neighborhood; arrest made
Jul 23, 2024, 9:29 AM | Updated: 2:51 pm
A photo of police car headlights. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Auburn Police Department (APD) is investigating a shooting early Tuesday morning in the city’s Lea Hill neighborhood that sent one woman to the hospital.
Police said an argument erupted between multiple people inside the Auburn home around 2 a.m. in the 31800 block of 120th Avenue Southeast. Moments later, the heated exchange of words turned into an exchange of gunshots, according to investigators, with the 39-year-old victim caught in the crossfire.
More local crime: Three teens –ages 13, 14 — arrested for brandishing handguns at Chinatown Seafair Parade
Police said they received several 911 calls after the shots rang out. When officers arrived at the scene of the shooting in Lea Hill, they said the victim was not there. They located her soon after at a nearby hospital.
“When officers got to the scene they quickly got a call from a local hospital saying that a 39-year-old woman reported to the hospital with one gunshot wound,” APD spokesperson Kolby Crossley told KIRO Newsradio. “That woman was then connected to the scene of the crime.”
The area where the shooting took place in Lea Hill is described as a more compact neighborhood dotted with smaller homes that sit very close together. Police said they received multiple calls to 911 from nearby neighbors who heard the gunshots. Police hope in any incident like this that cooler heads prevail.
“Obviously, shooting is never the answer in any situation,” Crossley said. “We’re here to hopefully prevent this from happening or figure out what happened as quickly as possible so we can bring justice to the situation.”
More from SPD: Armed good Samaritan saves pregnant woman from attacker
Police said the victim suffered one gunshot wound, but did not immediately know her condition. They said she was alert enough to speak with detectives and share details about the incident.
APD announced late Tuesday morning in an X post it had arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with this case was arrested for “multiple counts of first-degree assault and drive-by shooting.”
If anyone has information regarding this case, they are asked to contact the Auburn Police Department Tip Line at (253) 288-7403.
Luke Duecy is a reporter for KIRO Newsradio.
