1 dead, 2 injured in ‘drug deal gone bad’ near Lacey

A 19-year-old Olympia man died Wednesday night in what the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is calling a drug deal gone bad.

Deputies responded to reports of multiple shots fired at a home in the 6100 block of Ruddell Road, just outside of Lacey, at 8:55 p.m., said Sgt. Tim Rudloff. Witnesses reported seeing several people leave the home on foot and in cars after the gunfire.

When deputies arrived, they found the 19-year-old man, who appeared to have been shot. They located three other people in the home, and learned that about 10 people had been present at the time of the shooting and that more than one gun was involved, Rudloff said.

Two other gunshot victims arrived at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia a short time later, and detectives were sent to the hospital to collect their statements. Three other people who had been involved in the incident were contacted at another location.

“It looks like the shooting involved a narcotics deal gone bad,” Rudloff said. “There were multiple shots from multiple guns, and we’re still working out what happened.”

He said Thursday that no arrests had been made yet, but detectives are interviewing several people.

Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said the autopsy of the 19-year-old man will likely be performed Friday. The victim’s name will not be released until family members have been notified of his death.

North Thurston Public Schools contacted parents in the area Thursday morning to assure them that the crime scene was concealed from view, and that Chambers Prairie Elementary, a few blocks from the crime scene, would be operating normally.

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 6:42 AM with the headline "1 dead, 2 injured in ‘drug deal gone bad’ near Lacey."