SWAT called as woman is seriously injured in Yelm shooting

YELM, Wash. — Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) deputies were promoted to deploy a SWAT team to a shooting investigation at a property just south of Yelm after a woman was found seriously injured and a gunshot was heard.

Deputies first responded to multiple 911 calls of an assault at around 7:24 a.m. on Sunday. The callers reported hearing yelling and what sounded like gunshots.

Once deputies arrived, they discovered a woman in her mid-30s had been shot. According to TCSO, fire crews immediately began ‘life-saving measures’ before taking the woman to Harborview Medical Center.

TCSO says the woman was a resident of the property in the 16900 block of 148th Avenue Southeast.

Detectives responded to the scene and spent the day interviewing several witnesses. Then, while investigating, an additional gunshot was heard, prompting the deployment of SWAT to help with the search of the property.

Sheriff Sanders with TCSO was on the scene when the gunshot was heard, warning nearby residents to avoid the area. He confirmed that Thurston County SWAT was being briefed for deployment just after 1 p.m., and TCSO was scanning the area with a drone at that time.

According to TCSO, SWAT personnel thoroughly searched the property, including structures, trailers, and outbuildings, to ensure no one else was present. Deputies believe that the gunshot originated from the area and may have been intended as a distraction while the suspect fled.

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to contact them at detectives@co.thurston.wa.us.

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