Man calls 911 after shooting 2 people attempting to steal truck from Lynnwood hotel
LYNNWOOD, Wash. — A man is dead and a woman was taken to the hospital after they were shot while allegedly trying to steal a truck from a hotel in Lynnwood early Tuesday morning.
According to the Lynnwood Police Department (LPD), officers responded to the Best Western Alderwood around 2:35 a.m. Tuesday after a man in his late 20s called 911 saying he shot a man and a woman who were “in the act of stealing his truck” in the parking lot. The hotel is located on the 19300 block of 36th Avenue West, which is a couple blocks north of the Lynnwood Event Center.
The man reportedly shot at the pair while they were in his truck. The truck then rolled into the corner of a nearby business.
Lynnwood officers arrived at the scene within two minutes and found a man in his early 30s who had been shot and was “slumped over in the driver's seat” of the truck. The LPD said a woman with apparent gunshot wounds was sitting outside of the truck when officers arrived.
LPD Commander Patrick Fagan told KOMO News responding officers secured the scene and gave the man who had been shot first aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was taken to the hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, the LPD said.
Responding officers contacted the man who fired the shots and “immediately detained” him in the parking lot. Fagan told KOMO News Tuesday morning the man was cooperating with police and taken in for questioning.
A loaded firearm was also recovered from the scene, LPD said.
Police said the man and woman who were shot may have driven a car that was reported stolen out of Burien to the hotel. Responding officers ran the license plate of a red vehicle that was in the hotel parking lot and discovered it was reported stolen.
The stolen vehicle and the man’s truck were impounded while investigators waited for a search warrant.
When asked what the public should do if they see someone stealing their vehicle or property, Fagan said “it’s safer to call 911 and let police respond,” adding that “you don’t know what other people are willing to do.”
“If there is an in progress crime occurring, we’re likely to respond within a couple of minutes,” Fagan said.
Lynnwood police were canvassing the area Tuesday morning trying to find witnesses who saw or heard that led up to the shooting. The scene was processed by LPD detectives and crime scene technicians.
The LPD said “evidence is being actively collected and reviewed in consultation with the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office.”
The investigation is ongoing. No other information is available at this time.
