A quiet Ferndale neighborhood was shattered before sunrise Friday when a man was fatally shot on Ferndale Terrace, setting off an hours-long search that ended with a suspect in handcuffs near Sandy Point.
Ferndale police were called to the 2300 block of Ferndale Terrace at about 3:34 a.m. Officers found a wounded man who was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he later died. Investigators say the suspect took off from the scene, sparking a multi-agency effort to track the person down several miles away.
Search Leads To Arrest In Sandy Point
Several hours after the shooting, officers and deputies spotted someone matching the suspect description on Sucia Drive in the Sandy Point area at about 8:52 a.m. The individual was taken into custody without incident.
Deputies with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office joined Ferndale police on the call, along with Lummi Nation Police, Bellingham Police, Washington State Patrol and U.S. Border Patrol. Agencies coordinated their response around Sandy Point’s limited access points, according to the timeline reported by KOMO.
Sandy Point Geography Shapes Response
Sandy Point sits on a narrow peninsula served by only a few main roads. Whatcom County lists Sucia Drive and Saltspring Drive among the primary routes in and out, a layout that can complicate any emergency response and helps explain why so many agencies joined the search and arrest effort.
The county’s assessment of local infrastructure notes roads and vulnerabilities in the Sandy Point area, including Sucia Drive, as detailed by Whatcom County.
The Ferndale Police Department has publicly thanked the assisting agencies for their coordinated work. Investigators say the case remains active, with no additional information released so far. Officials have not yet identified the victim, and detectives continue to canvass the scene and follow leads. More details are expected as the investigation moves forward, per KOMO.
