Man kills girlfriend, three men

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – A man fatally shot his live-in girlfriend at an apartment south of Seattle, then killed three men, including a neighbor who told others to call 911 and had retreated inside his unit before the gunman blasted open the door with a shotgun and opened fire, authorities said Monday.

The 27-year-old suspect was later shot and killed in a parking lot by responding officers.

“We believe this is a domestic-violence homicide,” Federal Way police Chief Brian Wilson said at a news conference.

Wilson said investigators believe the shooter may also have been trying to kill witnesses, KOMO-TV reported.

Police encountered a chaotic situation in Federal Way on Sunday night when they responded to reports of gunshots.

The suspect confronted arriving officers with a shotgun in a stairwell then fled to the parking lot after officers fired at him, Wilson said.

He was killed on the ground while reaching for a handgun, Wilson said.

“This is one of the most dangerous … calls for law enforcement to respond to,” Wilson said of the active shooter situation.

A King County medical examiner’s spokeswoman said Monday that the identities of the dead were not expected to be released until this afternoon.

Wilson said the victims included the suspect’s 25-year-old girlfriend, and three men, including the 62-year-old neighbor. The other men were 24 and 46.

Police were still piecing together information but believe the suspect shot his girlfriend in their apartment, then killed the two younger men after he left the unit.

Wilson said the 62-year-old heard the commotion from another apartment, went outside to investigate and urged others to call authorities. The man returned to his residence before he was shot and killed, the chief said.

Police said the gunman used the shotgun to fire on the man’s door to gain entry. It did not appear that the older man knew the shooter, police said.

Authorities received the first reports of suspicious circumstances about 9:35 p.m. Sunday.

“When officers arrived there were still shots being fired,” said police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.

Officers swarmed and searched the large apartment complex off Interstate 5 before saying they were confident there were no more casualties.

A total of eight officers fired their weapons, Schrock said. Wilson said the suspect, who had a valid concealed weapons permit, had no criminal history. However, he had been involved in two prior domestic violence calls in Federal Way and Seattle, Wilson said.

Both incidents were verbal in nature and no arrests were made, Wilson said.