RENTON, Wash. — A man accused of shooting and killing three people in Renton, including a 10-year-old girl, made his first appearance in court on Monday.
Police said the shooting unfolded over the weekend.
On July 19, around 7:36 p.m., a person called 911 to report that multiple people had been shot inside a Hillcrest Terrace apartment that she had just been at.
When police arrived and the caller pointed out the apartment, through the sliding glass doors, officers saw two people on the ground with blood all around them.
Officers entered the home immediately to render aid, but the two people on the ground, a woman and a child, were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say it looked like both had been shot in the head, according to court documents.
Another woman, a 46-year-old, was found dead with apparent gunshot wounds in a bedroom of the apartment.
What the witness said happened:
According to the witness, she was inside the apartment with the two women, the child and the shooter before the events unfolded.
The woman told officers that the shooter was the boyfriend of one of the victims. He did not live at the apartment but was over often.
On the day of the shooting, all were inside the home.
According to court documents, the witness said she and one of the victims, a 39-year-old woman, were smoking outside when they heard what they thought was a gunshot come from the apartment.
The witness told officers that she did not hear any arguing before the gun went off, according to court documents.
The 39-year-old woman went around to the sliding glass doors to see what the noise was, when she was also shot, according to the witness.
Court documents say it appears the 39-year-old was shot in the head. The witness saw her fall to the ground and rushed over to her to see if she could help.
The witness then told police that she saw the 10-year-old child walking from the kitchen to the sliding glass door.
At this point, she ran out of the apartment and hid in the courtyard.
She said before she left, she saw the shooter point a weapon at the child but did not physically see him shoot her, but she heard gunshots.
As she hid, she saw the shooter run out of the apartment, but no one else left.
It appears the woman who was shot first, the 46-year-old, was dating the alleged shooter.
It’s unclear who the child belonged to.
Arrest of the suspect
Police cleared the home when they got the 911 call, and no suspect was found inside.
They were able to get his name from the witness, who knew the victims and the shooter, and confirm the shooter’s identity with the vehicle he left parked outside.
Officers were able to ping his cell phone location, and he was arrested in Burien a day later.
The 46-year-old suspect was booked into King County Jail for two counts of second-degree murder domestic violence and one count of second-degree murder.
Bail has been set at $10 million.
A charging decision is expected Wednesday.
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