Pursuit of murder suspect leads to hourslong shutdown on I-5 in Everett

A police pursuit of a shooting suspect shut down all lanes in both directions of Interstate 5 (I-5) in Everett Sunday afternoon.

According to a statement from the Everett Police Department (EPD) released on its Facebook page Sunday afternoon, the series of events that led to the freeway’s closure began when EPD officers were dispatched to a report of shots fired at the Park View Apartments located on block of W. Casino Road around 1 p.m.. When EPD officers arrived, they located two victims – a man who was dead and a woman with non-life-threatening injuries. The woman was transported to a local hospital.

Witnesses identified the suspect and his vehicle and informed officers he drove away from the scene. By 1:40 p.m., officers had located the suspect’s vehicle and began pursuit, which led to following the suspect onto I-5 north. The EPD statement explained that after a short pursuit, the suspect vehicle crashed, near milepost 190.

Initial indications showed uninvolved vehicles were involved in the crash. Shortly after, EPD officers heard gun shots coming from the suspect’s vehicle. Eventually, officers were able to safely approach the vehicle and determined that suspect was dead. The EPD added that no members of a law enforcement agency fired any shots.

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The impact on driving on I-5 in Everett

All lanes on I-5 north and south initially were closed due to the incident, the EPD statement reported. I-5 south reopened around 2:15 p.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported on in an X post. 

Two lanes of I-5 north reopened shortly after 4 p.m., the agency stated in a separate post on X.

WSDOT cameras showed drivers stuck in the lanes on I-5 north during the closure making U-turns to find a way off the freeway.

They were turning around and heading south on the shoulder of I-5 north.

Anna Bassous of Everett witnessed the beginning of the EPD pursuit of the suspect and ended up caught in the I-5 traffic due to the incident. In an email to MyNorthwest, she explained she and other drivers were asked to drive south on I-5 north as part of a detour to get people moving to their destinations.

“We were then directed onto the (State Route 526) on-ramp to I-5 and took that dedicated exit all the way to the Evergreen exit and then were asked to do another U-turn onto (State Route 527),” Bassous wrote. “At (that) point, you could decide how to proceed to your desired destination from there.”

WSDOT provided one final update on X about this incident just after 9:15 p.m. Sunday, reporting all lanes of I-5 north had reopened to all traffic.

Editors’ note: This story has been updated and republished multiple times as additional information about the events of Sunday, Sept. 22 became available.

Tom Brock is an anchor, editor and reporter for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories here.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.