Thurston coroner identifies man fatally shot at Interstate 5 rest area Tuesday
An Illinois man who died Tuesday when he was shot at an Interstate 5 rest stop in Thurston County has been identified.
Carl Steven Ekstrom, 62, died at the southbound Maytown Rest Area near Rochester on Tuesday, Coroner Gary Warnock said. Ekstrom’s official cause of death will be determined after an examination Friday, Warnock said.
Troopers arrested Daniel Martinez, 31, at the scene of the shooting on suspicion of second-degree murder while armed with a firearm. He’s being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, The Olympian previously reported.
The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Martinez with the alleged crime on Thursday. Prosecutors allege Martinez shot Ekstrom in the back of the head after attempting to sell him a PlayStation 4 console, according to court records.
Shane Ekstrom, son of Carl Steven Ekstrom, said his father went by Steve and drove his truck for a living. He had recently delivered a boat to someone on San Juan Island, his son said.
Carl Steven Ekstrom’s driver license indicated he resided in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, Warnock said. In recent years, Carl Steven Ekstrom had been living in Alabama to be near his father, but he was still “100% Chicago in his heart,” Shane Ekstrom said.
Martinez’s arraignment has been scheduled for 9 a.m. June 13.
This story was originally published June 2, 2023 at 12:12 PM.
