Argument at New Year's Eve party in Auburn leads to shooting; 2 injured
AUBURN, Wash. - Auburn Police are looking for the person who opened fire at a New Year's Eve party Sunday night.
It was reported around 10:30 p.m. in a home near 55th Place South near Meredith Hill Elementary.
Kolby Crossley, a spokesperson for the department, says a man was shot. He was "alert and conscious" on his way to the hospital but his latest condition is unknown.
FOX 13 spoke with neighbors, like Shannon Trudeaux, who says this is out of character for their community.
"This is not a neighborhood to be afraid of, it's a beautiful area," Trudeaux said.
Tredueax has only lived on the block a few months and despite her street being blocked off for hours as police investigated the shooting Sunday night she says she feels safe.
"Someone had a New Year's Eve party and the wrong person was invited," Trudeaux said,
That’s exactly what a 21-year-old man, who lives in the home and did not want to be named, said happened during a party. He recounted his version of events to FOX 13 under one condition; anonymity.
"All I heard is like four shots go off," the man said. He went into the kitchen and claimed to have seen a man on the ground lying there "bleeding out." The man said he invited a few friends over to ring in the new year but one of them showed up with an extra uninvited guest. He says the shooter approached another man.
"Apparently, they were arguing, going back and forth, and they were super drunk," the man said. Tensions quickly escalated. "He pulled out the gun and the guy that got shot was like, ‘Shoot me, shoot me, if you pull that out you better shoot me,’ and he shot him."
The 21-year-old claims he didn't know he was armed until the man pulled out the gun. As far as he knows, he says two people were shot; one barely grazed but the other was shot more than once.
"I got up. I seen dude bleeding on the floor," the man said. "He was like super chill. Like super relaxed. I thought he was dead."
Auburn Police have not confirmed how many people were shot but said only one person, a man between 20 and 30 years old, was taken to an area hospital. By the time officers showed up, the shooter was gone.
"He just ran out," the man said. "He threw the gun at us and ran out."
However, he wasn’t the only one who took off.
"I was scared some dude was in my house with a gun," the man said. "I just ran out trying to save myself."
Police caught up to him, he was detained and taken into custody, where he was questioned and released.
A lesson the young man says he's learned the hard way. "I'm just really sorry that had to happen and had to bring those individuals into my home," the man said.
Police are urging anyone who has any information regarding this shooting to call their Crime Tip Line at 253-299-7403.