Gunman opens fire on West Side highway

AUBURN, Wash. – A gunman pulled alongside a sport-utility vehicle and opened fire early Saturday, killing the SUV’s driver and wounding two passengers as they drove down State Route 167.

Police said at least seven shots were fired about 1 a.m., after the gunman followed the SUV from a home where a fight had taken place.

“This is not a random shooting,” Auburn Police Cmdr. Willard Lathrop said. “This is a continuation of an altercation that took place at a local residence.”

The SUV was driving north on the highway when the other car pulled up and opened fire. The SUV swerved across the median and two oncoming lanes before crashing into brush.

The victim was a 19-year-old man; his name was not released Saturday.

His aunt said he was trying to help a friend and break up an argument before the shooting happened, KING-TV reported. The aunt said her nephew had a 1-year-old child and was making wedding plans.

The two wounded passengers were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Police said their injuries were not life-threatening. Their names were not released.

No arrests were made.