A gunshot pierced the passenger door of a Ford Raptor truck on southbound Interstate 5 near the SeaTac–Des Moines border last Sunday afternoon, and the Washington State Patrol is now hunting for the driver of a Kia Spectra who fled the scene at high speed. No one was hit by the bullet, which lodged in the truck's passenger seat, but troopers say the encounter began miles earlier during a road rage dispute on a nearby state highway.
According to KOMO News, Washington State Patrol dispatchers received a 911 call around 4:50 p.m. last Sunday from a driver who reported that someone in another vehicle had shot at their truck. Troopers met with the victim and determined the shooting happened near South 216th Street, right where the SeaTac and Des Moines city limits meet along the interstate.
The dispute did not start on I-5 itself. As reported by KING 5, the road rage encounter began on eastbound State Route 518 before the vehicles merged onto southbound I-5, where the gunfire erupted. SR 518 is a short but heavily trafficked freeway that links Burien, Sea-Tac Airport, and SR 99 directly into the I-5 and I-405 interchanges in Tukwila, according to background compiled on Wikipedia.
Suspect Description and Getaway
Troopers say the aggressive driver was behind the wheel of a Kia Spectra and fired one gunshot at the victim before speeding away, per the account relayed by KOMO News. The B-Town Blog, citing State Patrol reporting, described the suspect driving the Kia as a Black male accompanied by a Black female front passenger, noting the car fled south on I-5 at high speed immediately after the shot was fired.
Investigators have not said whether the man and woman have been identified beyond those descriptions, and no arrests have been announced. WSP Detective John Ford is asking anyone with information, including witnesses who may have seen the Kia Spectra on SR 518 or I-5, to email him directly at [email protected], the same tip line cited in the department's request relayed by The B-Town Blog.
A Familiar Problem on King County Freeways
The Des Moines-area shooting fits a pattern State Patrol data has tracked for years. Freeway shootings statewide jumped from 33 in 2022 to 129 in 2023, with 60 more logged through mid-September 2024, according to figures reported by MyNorthwest. The same reporting found King County accounted for 64% of all highway shootings statewide in 2024, up from 44% in 2023 and 42% in 2022 — making the county the epicenter of a statewide trend.
State Patrol records covering February 2023 through February 2024 showed dispatchers fielded 577 separate 911 calls from King County residents reporting roadway incidents involving firearms, per data reported by KREM 2. Troopers have noted that many of these calls produce little physical evidence, since both vehicles are typically moving at freeway speeds and suspects disperse before troopers can reach the scene — a challenge that leaves detectives leaning heavily on witness statements and dashcam footage in cases like this one.
South King County has seen a violent chapter of this trend before. On September 2, 2024, a spree of six random drive-by shootings along the I-5 corridor in King and Pierce counties left five people injured before troopers apprehended a suspect in Fircrest, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol. That spree prompted extra targeted patrols along the corridor.
Potential Charges and Driver Safety Guidance
Under Washington law, drive-by shooting is classified as a Class B felony under RCW 9A.36.045, carrying penalties of up to 10 years in state prison and a maximum fine of $20,000, according to legal analysis published by Black & Askerov. The statute also allows prosecutors to charge the offense regardless of whether a target was physically struck, since state law presumes reckless conduct creating a substantial risk of death or serious injury whenever a firearm is discharged from a moving vehicle.
The Washington State Department of Licensing advises drivers who encounter aggressive motorists to avoid eye contact or gestures, keep their distance, refuse to pull over, and call 911 immediately — guidance that notes emergency calls placed while driving are exempt from the state's handheld device law. This is not the first road rage shooting Hoodline has covered on the region's freeways this month; last week's gray Infiniti hunt near Issaquah and a July shooting that shut down the Hewitt Trestle on U.S. 2 in Everett both remain open investigations.
Anyone with information about last Sunday's shooting near Des Moines, including sightings of the Kia Spectra or its two occupants, is urged to contact Detective Ford by email. No injuries were reported in the incident, but investigators say the case remains active as they work to identify the shooter.
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