Man shot after pulling fake gun on armed off-duty security officer
EVERETT, Wash. March 10 2019 A deal for an iPhone turned violent late Thursday night outside a bank in Everett, sending one person to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Two men arranged to meet at the BECU at 112th St. SW and Evergreen Way just before 10 p.m. to exchange an iPhone. Everett Police say the man who was supposed to buy the phone didn’t have enough cash.
So, the two men agreed to go to the BECU bank at 112th St. SW and Evergreen Way. There, the man who was supposed to buy the phone attempted to pull a fake gun on the seller, but that seller drew a real gun and shot the intended buyer several times, according to Everett Police.
Officers and medics arrived to find the victim with multiple gunshot wounds and he was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
Everett Police say it looks like a case of self-defense.
“Right now it appears, but we don’t know yet,” Lt. Ryan Dalberg said. “We have a lot of work to do. And the investigation team is still working.”
Everett Police say it appears the shooter’s gun was purchased legally. They are now sifting through surveillance video, which they say appears to corroborate the shooter’s story.
Jose Velazquez lives across the street from the BECU and heard the gunshots.
“I heard these seven steady shots fired really close,” Velazquez said. “As fast as somebody could pull a trigger… and maybe five minutes later we had this whole place swarmed with cops.”
Velazquez says he’s seen an uptick in crime around his neighborhood since he moved in three years ago. Now he’s concerned for the safety of his children.
“You can’t walk alone to be honest,” Velazquez said. “So when they go out, we make sure we go with them.”
Police initially said the seller was a security guard for another business but now say that is not the case. They have not determined if he will face any charges.
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