Man arrested after “dozens of rounds” shot in neighborhood near Scott Lake
Deputies have arrested a man who allegedly shot “dozens of rounds” from his rifle from his driveway in the Scott Lake neighborhood Dec. 31, per a Facebook post from Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders.
The 39-year-old man was booked into the Thurston County jail on suspicion of reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm, per the county jail log.
Sanders’ post said that deputies believe the shooter was firing in the direction of other houses. “The area is a no shooting zone due to dense housing,” he wrote.
“A drone was deployed to get eyes on the property as the lead deputy made phone contact with the shooter, who admitted to ‘drinking a few beers’ and firing his rifle off for NYE,” Sanders alleged in the post.
Deputies took the homeowner into custody and opened an investigation into suspected reckless endangerment. They began checking the surrounding area for damage, he wrote.
Sgt. Dave Odegaard with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said in a phone call that deputies received the initial call at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, and began arriving on scene at 7:03 p.m.
The area is a no-shooting zone because it’s densely populated, said Odegaard. He noted that the lake nearby has water skiiers as well. Deputies confiscated two guns, an AK-47 and a .45-caliber pistol, he said.
The suspect allegedly “admitted to drinking alcohol and (the deputy) could smell the odor of intoxicants,” he said. He confirmed based on the report that the shooting doesn’t appear to have caused any injuries or property damage to nearby homes.
“Just somebody trying to celebrate New Year’s and not thinking too well on where he was discharging a firearm at,” he said.
