Parkland, WA man arrested for drive-by connected to 3 other shootings
Bodycam video captures arrest of Parkland, WA drive-by shooting suspect
Body camera footage captured the moment Pierce County deputies confronted a 23-year-old man, suspected of a drive-by shooting in Parkland, Washington hours earlier, sending bullets flying into a family's kitchen.
PARKLAND, Wash. - A 23-year-old man accused of firing shots into a family's kitchen Tuesday night is connected to three other shootings in the Parkland area, authorities say.
What we know:
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a drive-by shooting at the Lucent Apartments off 108th Street South around 11:30 p.m. Sep. 1.
Deputies interviewed witnesses, with one saying a bullet went through the wall of their apartment's kitchen while four people were inside. Luckily, there were no injuries.
Investigators later determined a silver SUV was parked outside at the time and left the area before deputies arrived. Evidence pointed to shots being fired from inside the SUV.
Deputies tracked down the suspect vehicle to another apartment complex along 19th Ave. S. in Parkland. The Sheriff's Office said spent shell casings were visible inside the SUV.
Body camera footage captured the moment deputies confronted the suspect, who answered the door holding what investigators believe was the firearm he used in the shooting, by his side.
In the video, deputies ordered him to drop the weapon and step outside. The suspect expressed confusion during the encounter, asking officers why they were there and stating, "I was aiming at the dirt."
Officers explained the severity of the situation to the 23-year-old suspect, warning that his actions could have killed someone.
The suspect dropped the gun after being commanded by deputies, and he was then taken into custody. He was later booked into Pierce County Jail on three counts of drive-by shooting.
A screenshot of bodycam video capturing the arrest of a drive-by shooting suspect in Parkland on Sept. 1, 2026. (Pierce County Sheriff's Office)
Following the arrest, authorities learned the suspect had told them he recently acquired the firearm.
"Pretty emotional contact, he did share with the deputies he was a new gun owner," said Carly Cappetto of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. "That is concerning, the fact that here we have somebody who may not have a lot of gun experience who was out randomly shooting it at random things in a random state of mind."
Dig deeper:
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office also said the 23-year-old was identified as a person of interest in three previous shots fired calls in the area, which occurred on Aug. 7, Aug. 13 and Aug. 21.
Residents at the Lucent Apartments expressed fear over the recurring violence in the neighborhood.
"It's sad, it's scary," said resident Amber Maxwell. "Who would think when you are trying to get ready for bed a bullet could change your life forever?"
"I used to hear the same thing in New York where I used to live, but here I thought it would be a little bit more safer," said Anthony Dunkley, another resident.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.