Law enforcement ‘flooded’ Tumwater Wednesday after bus stop shooting, police say
Law enforcement tracked down and arrested a 17-year-old boy accused of firing a gun at a person in Tumwater Wednesday.
The shooting occurred before 8:30 a.m. by a bus stop in the 400 block of Cleveland Avenue Southeast, which is east of the Deschutes River and near a grocery store, according to a Wednesday evening news release from the Tumwater Police Department.
Tumwater officers responded to the scene after multiple witnesses reported a fight between two males at the bus stop. At one point, one of the males allegedly fired a gun at the other and then ran away toward a nearby gas station. The incident prompted a large police response that included Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies as well as Olympia police, and led to the lockout of a local school.
“Olympia High School was placed on lockout out of an abundance of caution,” the release states.
The victim, who was not injured in the shooting, told officers the suspect displayed what he believed to be gang signs as they both stood at the bus stop, according to police.
The two began to argue and then the suspect allegedly pointed a gun at the victim, according to the release. The suspect allegedly fired one round and fled. The victim reportedly told officers he did not know the suspect but he did offer a description.
Law enforcement “flooded the area” and searched for the suspect, the release said. A TCSO deputy later found and detained the suspect on Hawthorne Street Southeast, which is near Olympia High School.
A TCSO K9 and his handler also helped track the 17-year-old suspect from the scene to where he was eventually located, according to the release.
Officers booked the teenager on suspicion of first-degree assault.
“We appreciate the assistance we received from our regional partners with this investigation, and the abundance of witnesses who have provided information regarding what they saw,” the release states.
