Border shooter identified as Seattle tattoo artist
Oct 17, 2012, 1:16 PM | Updated: Oct 18, 2012, 10:19 am
Andrew Michael Crews, 32, of Seattle, shot a Canadian border guard before taking his own life on Tuesday. Crews worked as a tattoo artist at Under the Needle in Belltown. (Facebook)
(Facebook)
Authorities in the U.S. have begun to track the movements of the man who shot and wounded a Canadian border guard Tuesday before taking his own life.
A Washington state license plate on the back of the suspect’s white van led Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to a residence in the 5000 block of Sixth Street in Bremerton hours after the shooting.
When the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the home, occupants told detectives the previous resident had moved to the Seattle area.
“The individual, whose name had been provided to us by ICE, was no longer at that residence and had not been at that residence for a while,” said sheriff’s spokesperson Scott Wilson.
The B.C. Coroner’s Service identified the gunman as Andrew Michael Crews, 32, of the greater Seattle-area. Crews worked as a tattoo artist at Under the Needle Tattoo in Belltown, KIRO Radio confirmed.
Just after 2 p.m. Tuesday, Crews attempted to enter Canada at the Peace Arch crossing near Blaine, Wash. He shot a female border patrol guard who was working in a booth, then shot himself in the head.
“The second shot was 10-15 seconds later,” said Jason McMichael, a vice president with the Customs and Immigration Union.
McMichael retracted a previous statement that the guard was struck by the same bullet the shooter used to kill himself.
The guard, Lori Bowcock, was shot in the neck and was in stable condition Wednesday afternoon at Royal Columbian Hospital.
She joined the Canada Border Services Agency less than a year ago and had worked at the Peace Arch crossing since July, according to a statement from the agency.
“I know everyone within our organization is thinking about Lori and wishing her well. I know that these types of incidents can have a lasting impact on the people involved,” said Roslyn MacVicar, Pacific regional director of CBSA. “As such, the management team has ensured that the Employee Assistance Program and Critical Incident Stress Management services are readily available to staff today and throughout the days to come.”
An official with the Surrey RCMP, the investigating agency, said at a news conference Tuesday that detectives had not determined a motive for the shooting.
Corporal Bert Paquet could not confirm if the suspect and victim knew each other, but said Canadian officials were sharing information with authorities in the U.S.
“This is a very serious incident that occurred right on the border line,” he said.
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire said she spoke to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and pledged the state’s cooperation and help in the investigation.
“This tragedy hits especially close to home, and reminds us all that our public safety officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the rest of us,” Gregoire said in a statement.
The Peace Arch crossing has reopened to southbound traffic while traffic into Canada is expected to reopen Thursday morning at 8 a.m.
McMichael said workers at the crossing are “shaken,” but firm in their resolve to protect the border.
MyNorthwest.com’s Josh Kerns contributed to this report.
