WA State Patrol seeking witnesses to shooting at bonfire in Capitol State Forest

The Washington State Patrol is investigating a shooting that occurred in Capitol State Forest west of Olympia earlier this month, according to a Dec. 12 news release.

The shooting, which happened at about 10 p.m. Dec. 6, left an 18-year-old Centralia man injured.

Detectives are seeking witnesses and additional information on the events surrounding the incident.

According to the release, the shooting happened near the intersection of the C-7100 and C-7100A roads in Capitol State Forest. A group of about 50 people were gathered for a large bonfire when an argument broke out between several people.

Detectives believe the argument resulted in a 22-year-old man shooting the 18-year-old victim in the foot. The 22-year-old man was arrested the next day and booked into Thurston County Jail on suspicion of second-degree assault.

Investigators are seeking additional witnesses to the shooting, especially those who may have photos or video of the events that night. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Adam Gruener via phone at 253-538-3176 or by email at adam.gruener@wsp.wa.gov.

Ty Vinson

The Olympian

360-357-0201

Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription