Arlington sniper found dead

Residents in a neighborhood five miles outside of Arlington were evacuated from their homes for about ten hours Sunday as police hunted a man who was firing shots at passing cars and people.

The first shot was fired about 1:30 p.m. on September 2. A man standing in his driveway on Jim Creek Road northeast of Arlington was hit in the leg. Police were called immediately, and Lieutenant Steve Dittoe, with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies knew they had something unique on their hands.

“Immediately officers understood there was somebody in the woods shooting at either vehicles or people in the area,” said Dittoe. “So we initiated a SWAT team call out.”

But the SWAT team soon became a target.

“Immediately after our SWAT team came on the scene, then we came under fire,” Lieutenant Dittoe said, “including our armored vehicle.”

Because there were so many shots that seemed to be coming from multiple directions, deputies thought they might have more than one shooter. After several hours trying to get close to the shooter, the SWAT team found him.

Bill Gillam caught the police communication on his scanner. He shared it with KING-5 news.

Listen to Arlington Sniper shot by police

The Sheriff’s Office won’t confirm that the SWAT team killed the man, though it sounds from the audio that sharpshooters took him down. Officials will only say the man was found dead in the woods.

Michael Cooper lives near where the shooter was found dead. Most of the neighborhood was evacuated, but he says that it was terrifying to stay and hear the shooting in his neighborhood for so long.

“I didn’t like the high-powered rifle shooting,” he said, “I’d walk out into my yard and listen to hear if any bullets were coming by. It sounded like it was right in my backyard.”

Originally, the police were searching in the woods to see if there might be a second shooter. They considered this possibility because of the number of shots fired in multiple directions. However, as of Monday morning, the search for a second suspect was called off.

Police are still not sure what led the man to shoot random targets. Neither the man’s name, nor his description has been released.

There haven’t been any more shots fired since the suspect was found dead.

The man who was shot in the leg early in the day is expected to recover.