WA State Patrol sees rise in freeway shootings, citing gang activity: ‘More guns, more anger’

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) confirmed what many have been thinking, there has been a rise in freeway shootings over the last three years. MyNorthwest reached out to WSP Trooper Chris Loftis to analyze the trend.

The numbers fluctuate year-to-year, but, according to Loftis, WSP saw 33 freeway shootings in 2022, 129 freeway shootings in 2023 and, as of Sept. 16, 60 freeway shootings in 2024. However, he said the numbers tend to spike over holidays, meaning even more freeway shootings could be seen before the end of the year.

Recent freeway shooting: WSP reports yet another drive-by shooting on I-5

Nearly half of the freeway shootings occurred in King County. In 2022, 42% of the shootings were in King County, 21% were in Pierce and Thurston Counties and 37% occurred in other areas across the state. In 2023, 44% occurred in King County, 27% in Pierce and Thurston Counties and 29% in other areas.

As of this September, 64% have been in King County, 18% in Pierce and Thurston Counties and 18% in other parts of the state.

“We respond to every report of a gun being brandished or someone hearing shots fired on the roadways,” Loftis told MyNorthwest. “However, the vast majority yield no evidence that can assist in a full investigation. Traffic continues to flow and by the time a report is called in, a trooper is dispatched, and a trooper investigates the location, there are no witnesses or physical evidence. Thus, no further investigatory efforts are applicable.”

Why more Washington freeway shootings?

Loftis pointed to increased gang activity as one of the most prominent reasons for the increased shootings on Washington’s highways, with WSP investigations showing between one-quarter and one-third of freeway shooting violence is gang-related. The rest are a combination of more common criminal activities such as robberies and domestic conflicts or behaviors to flex power, such as showing a weapon to intimidate or impress others, like in a hypothetical road rage-related incident. These incidents can also be related to individuals with mental health challenges.

He added that as the population has grown in King County, so has the number of people with guns and therefore, gun violence instances, have also increased.

“It comes down to more people, more guns and more anger,” Loftis stated.

Loftis said WSP is seeing more guns, both legal and illegal, on the streets. The agency is also seeing more cars on drivers on freeways. More drivers means more traffic, more tension and, unfortunately, more road rage. However, Loftis noted societal issues also contribute.

“Add that to a coarsening of society over the past decade, coupled with steadily eroding inhibitions to conflict and you have a formula for escalating tensions, self-centered driving behavior, and increasing roadway violence,” he explained. “When you overlay that with increasing political, economic and cultural strife, decreasing numbers of law enforcement and first responders in many areas, and decreasing support resources for those suffering from mental health and substance abuse challenges, you begin to see that as a society, we are facing an amalgamation of negative trends and dangerous behaviors.”

However, Loftis wanted to make clear that “we in law enforcement are in many ways simply the ‘period at the end of a sentence.’ We are not the authors of the sentence, the chapter, or the story.”

The most recent case of freeway violence was earlier this month, shortly after Labor Day, September 3. Loftis said WSP now believes at least nine cars were hit in two brief waves of gun violence that day. The shootings injured six people, with two seriously injured.

More details: At least 7 cars hit and 6 people injured in random gunfire on I-5 near Seattle

“We consider this entire event as a mass shooting event as four or more people were shot and injured and an active shooter event as it was at the direction of a single shooter, albeit in this case, not in a confined location such as school, church or community gathering which is the more common incident environment for those terms,” Loftis stated.

He said the shootings covered more than 25 miles of the interstate, occurring in two counties. Four reports mentioned a white Volvo, which led WSP, with the help of over a half dozen other law enforcement agencies, to track down the suspect and take him into custody.

Loftis said law enforcement does its best, but “sometimes our best is simply not good enough. We cannot be everywhere, and it can be tragically impossible to stop the initial acts of violence that can cause such sorrow.”

“To really put a stop to roadway violence, we must put a stop to the many causes of conflict and crime,” Loftis added. “That is an all-of-society challenge that will take all-of-society solutions.”

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.