ORTING, Wash. — Suspected teenage car prowlers who fled in a stolen car fired shots at a homeowner who was following them.
Shortly after midnight on Sunday, a homeowner in the Village Green neighborhood interrupted several teens prowling cars near the 900 block of Louise Wise Avenue, according to Orting Police.
Some fled in a car that had recently been stolen from a home in the same neighborhood, and the homeowner gave chase in their vehicle.
While being followed through the neighborhood, one of the teens fired shots from a handgun at the trailing car.
At some point, the stolen car was ditched in the 900 block of Washington Avenue South and the kids ran away.
Eventually, the teens were found hiding near the main parking lot of Orting Middle School, but the handgun was not found.
Because the teens were unarmed when they were found on school property, Orting Police believe the handgun may have been thrown out somewhere in the area before they were taken into custody.
To ensure that the gun wasn’t on school district property, a thorough search was conducted on the grounds of Orting Middle School, Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary and adjacent areas, but the weapon was not found.
“While we are confident that school grounds are free of any dangerous items based upon the thorough search performed, students and staff should remain vigilant and are encouraged to report any suspicious objects discovered in an abundance of caution by calling 911 or immediately reporting to a school administrator,” the Orting Police Department said in public safety notice.