MEDICAL LAKE, WA – A chaotic series of events early Saturday morning left two people dead and a sheriff’s deputy on administrative leave following an incident that began in a grocery store parking lot.
Around midnight, security footage captured a man arriving at Lakes Harvest Foods. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office believes this individual was involved in multiple incidents that night. The video shows him starting a brush fire near the parking lot, attempting to extinguish it, only to reignite it moments later.
First responders arrived within ten minutes, but the suspect lingered, circling the parking lot before parking in front of the store. He was seen drinking something from his trunk before departing.
The situation escalated when the suspect reportedly entered a house in a nearby neighborhood around 1:40 a.m., firing several rounds as the occupants hid. Neighbor Shelly Quigley, awakened by the gunfire, expressed her shock, noting the tranquility of their area had been shattered.
The suspect’s violent spree continued to Eastern State Hospital, where an employee was reportedly shot. The suspect allegedly took the employee’s radio, broadcasting warnings of an impending army.
When deputies arrived at the hospital, they exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was later discovered dead near his vehicle. A rifle and handgun were recovered at the scene, and the suspect was dressed in tactical gear.
The Spokane Independent Investigative Response Team is now handling the investigation, with the involved deputy placed on administrative leave. The Sheriff’s Office plans to release the deputy’s name in due course.