Man accused of Kitsap County fatal road rage shooting pleads not guilty

KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — The man accused of fatally shooting another driver during a road rage incident pled not guilty on Tuesday.

According to Washington State Patrol, the driver passed away Tuesday night.

WSP responded to the road rage shooting Monday afternoon. It shut down a portion of State Route 16 at the Sedgewick Exit.

Troopers told us that the incident involved a black Toyota Forerunner and a silver Chrysler. Initially, troopers said the two cars were driving toward Bremerton. Troopers said they got calls from people reporting the two cars driving erratically.

Troopers said at some point the two cars made a U-turn in Gorst and started driving east. Troopers then said the cars stopped in front of Kitsap Auto Outlet. Troopers said both drivers got out of their cars and that’s when the driver of the Forerunner allegedly shot the driver of the Chrysler. The shooter then drove off.

The victim was shot in the head and was taken to St. Joe’s in Tacoma. Multiple agencies responded and located the suspect’s car on Lake Flora Road. The suspect has been arrested. Troopers also said they found a gun in a backpack near the suspect’s car.

The prosecution asked the judge to set the 26-year-old man’s bail at $1 million, saying the suspect followed the victim for miles, shot him in the head, fled the scene, and then attempt to elude police. The prosecution said the man changed his clothes, pulled stickers off of his car, and took back roads while trying to get rid of evidence like the gun used in the shooting, the gun’s magazine, and his backpack.

The judge agreed to the $1 million bail amount saying the man was a substantial danger to the community and likely to commit another violent crime.

We’ll see the man back in court on August 15, with his trial set for September 11.

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