VIDEO: Suspect arrested in series of shootings on I-5 leaving at least four injured, two critically

One man has been arrested in connection with a series of what appeared to be random shootings on Interstate 5 (I-5) Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Police are not sure whether the man is associated with what may have been as many as seven shootings throughout the night. As of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, two of those injured were reported in critical condition.

The arrest was captured on police body cam.

University Place Deputies locate and help WSP Troopers arrest suspect from several shootings on I-5 on Labor Day.

PCSD BLOTTERhttps://t.co/q8JlO9w40e pic.twitter.com/ArwZzSaWwV

— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) September 3, 2024

Police did not say if they know what the motive may have been.

“It’s not just an attack on those individuals, it’s really an attack on everybody because any of us could have been that unwitting victim simply trying to drive down the interstate,” Washington State Patrol Capt. Ron Meade said.

Meade said that the shootings create “a fear in our transportation system that is unacceptable. People shouldn’t fear driving on the freeway.”

 

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The first shooting happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. on I-5 heading north in Federal Way near South 320th Street. One person was wounded in the shooting. A second shooting occurred 15 minutes later near the MLK Way exit in downtown Seattle, but no one was injured from this incident.

No more than five minutes later, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP), a third highway shooting took place. This I-5 shooting occurred near the Interstate 90 (I-90) interchange, injuring one person.

The suspect vehicle in that shooting was described as a white Volvo with California license plates.

@wastatepatrol is investigating two shootings on I-5 and possibly a third. The first one was NB 5, 320th where a passenger was injured. The second was NB 5 near I-90 where another passenger was injured. The third and not yet confirmed was NB 5 at MLK. 1/2

— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) September 3, 2024

Around 11 p.m., WSP troopers received more calls about another I-5 shooting, this time heading south in Federal Way near the State Route 18 interchange. A fifth shooting was reported shortly after, with calls claiming it happened near Fife in Pierce County.

The final two highway shootings resulted in injured people, but it’s unclear how many victims or what their conditions are.

“The suspect vehicle in these two match the shooting from earlier NB 5 near 320th,” WSP Trooper Rick Johnson said in a post on X at 1:34 a.m. Tuesday.

The suspect was arrested at approximately 1:45 a.m. by the Firecrest Police Department. The Tacoma Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, University Place Police Department, Puyallup Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department all assisted in the search and arrest of the suspect.

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2/2 Thanks to @TacomaPD @LakewoodPDCO University Place PD @PuyallupPD Pierce County Sheriff and Fircrest PD who was the agency that made the arrest after locating the suspect vehicle. More info to come later this morning.

— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) September 3, 2024

“We’re not immune to these sorts of things. You see this across the country. Just because we live in a beautiful area, just because our economy is strong, we are not immune,” WSP Spokesman Chris Loftis said.

The suspect is expected to be charged with first degree assault.