Authorities in Washington are investigating a series of five shootings that occurred Monday night along Interstate 5, according to law enforcement officials.
While it remains unclear if all the shootings are connected, the Washington State Patrol confirmed that multiple individuals were injured across the five separate incidents. A suspect has been apprehended, though it is not yet confirmed if they are linked to all of the shootings.
Two women were transported to the hospital, and a section of I-5 was temporarily closed as police collected evidence. The interstate has since reopened and is not expected to impact morning traffic, officials said.
Trooper Rick Johnson, the public information officer for Washington State Patrol’s District 2 in King County, initially reported the first shooting at 9:27 p.m. local time. The incident occurred on northbound I-5 near 320th Street, where a passenger was injured.
Fifteen minutes later, police received a report of another shooting on northbound I-5 near Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Although no one was injured in this incident, a vehicle was damaged.
Shortly thereafter, a third shooting was reported on northbound I-5 near the I-90 interchange. One passenger was injured, and the Seattle Fire Department treated a 20-year-old woman who was in critical condition, according to media.
The fourth and fifth shootings took place on southbound I-5, one near State Route 18 and the other near 54th Avenue in Pierce County. Two additional people were injured in these incidents. Police were able to link the suspect’s vehicle from these shootings to the first incident on northbound I-5 near 320th Street, Trooper Johnson stated.
The suspect was later identified and arrested in the Tacoma area, according to law enforcement.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and Fircrest Police Department were involved in locating and apprehending the suspect, officials said.
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No further injuries have been reported, and authorities plan to release additional information later Tuesday morning.
