Washington State Patrol detectives are actively seeking witnesses to a shooting that unfolded earlier in December at Capitol State Forest, which left an 18-year-old from Centralia with a gunshot wound. The violent episode, rooted in an argument among attendees of a large outdoor gathering, demands further information to understand the full context of what transpired that winter night.
The incident took place just past the evening's crest around 10 p.m. last Friday fraught with the tensions that eventually boiled over. It was near the crossroads of the C-7100 and C-7100A where about 50 people had come to share in the light and warmth of a bonfire, a gathering rudely interrupted by discord and, consequently, gunfire. According to a statement issued by the Washington State Patrol, an altercation among several individuals led a 22-year-old man to allegedly shoot the young victim in the foot.
The suspected shooter was apprehended the following day and has since been charged with Assault in the Second Degree, languishing now in the confines of Thurston County Jail as the law winds its slow but inexorable grind. The WSP is meticulously piecing together the narrative of that evening, and they are reaching out to the public for assistance. They specifically request any photos or videos from witnesses that might illuminate the events leading up to and including the shooting.
