UPDATE: The Washington State Patrol on Tuesday night identified a 20-year-old New Jersey man wanted for first-degree murder as the shooter who took his own life after firing at two vehicles Tuesday on the Hood Canal Bridge.
State Patrol said that Krishna Mahadevan-Prasad, 20, was stopped on eastbound state Highway 104 at the west end of the bridge, traveling in a black Honda Accord and armed with a rifle and shotgun.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office is planning to conduct an autopsy Wednesday, according to State Patrol.
Mahadevan-Prasad was wanted by the Renton Police Department as the suspect in the killing of a 38-year-old Bellevue woman who was found dead in a Renton motel.
Due to the nature of the crime, Renton police are seeking the public’s assistance in learning about Mahadevan-Prasad’s activities in the days leading up to the homicide.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Renton police at 425-430-7573.
——— OUR EARLIER REPORT ———
SHINE — A Port Angeles man is counting himself lucky after he and his two daughters survived a shooting at the Hood Canal Bridge early Tuesday morning that ended with the shooter killing himself after injuring another driver.
Michael Brooks of Port Angeles was taking his two daughters, 5 and 7 years old, to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport so they could fly home to Ohio where they live with their mother when gunfire erupted while he was waiting for the Hood Canal Bridge to reopen.
“All I know is the first thing that went through my head is I need to get my children out of there,” he said. “It was a matter of getting my kids out of there and getting to safety.”
Brooks was in one of two vehicles that was shot at on the bridge, according to the State Patrol. A 30-year-old driver, who has not been identified, sustained a glancing gunshot wound to the elbow.
The shooter had not been identified Tuesday afternoon.
“The suspect is deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Trooper Chelsea Hodgson said. “There are no additional suspects at large.”
Brooks was stopped at the bridge at about 3:30 a.m. when a vehicle came up behind him about 10 minutes before the shooting started, he said.
He didn’t realize until after the shooting was over that one of the shots went through the headrest of his seat. He was more concerned about getting his children out of there, he said.
His truck wouldn’t start at first, but he was able to drive around a semi-truck that was in front of him to get to safety.
He said one of the bullets went through the headrest of one of his daughter’s seats too.
“I got pretty lucky they happened to be asleep when this happened,” he said. “That bullet would have killed my daughter and it would have killed me. We are very, very lucky today.”
He said his kids are so young that they don’t completely understand what happened.
Hodgson said that three vehicles were stopped on state Highway 104 at the Hood Canal Bridge, which was closed for evening maintenance, when gunfire erupted at 3:42 a.m.
Brooks’ vehicle was in front.
The shooting occurred at 3:42 AM. Three vehicles were stopped EB on WB 104 at the Hood Canal Bridge, which was closed for evening maintenance. The subject in the center vehicle opened fire on the vehicle ahead and behind him (1/2) pic.twitter.com/zTzl4Cl42g
— Trooper Chelsea Hodgson (@wspd8pio) July 24, 2018
UPDATE: The front vehicle (a Ford SUV) had a father and his 5 and 6 year old daughters in the vehicle. Shots missed both girls, who were asleep. One bullet went through the driver's seat head rest, missing dad, who was leaning toward the passenger seat. pic.twitter.com/LXdWBiVOSU
— Trooper Chelsea Hodgson (@wspd8pio) July 24, 2018
Hodgson said that investigators served a search warrant on the vehicle at about 10 a.m. She was unable to provide more information early Tuesday afternoon.
It wasn’t yet clear how many shots were fired, the type of weapon used and the motive behind the shooting, she said.
She posted several photos showing bullet holes going through the windows of the two vehicles.
Hodgson said more information would be provided as it becomes available.
Brooks said he and his family are now trying to figure out how to move forward after the shooting.
“We’re just trying to figure out our next steps from here to be able to move on and try to get everything back to normal,” he said. “You’ll never come back from something like that.”
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
The rear vehicle involved in the shooting, a Dodge Grand Caravan, was occupied by a male driver who sustained a glancing gunshot injury to his elbow. He was asleep in the vehicle when shots were fired, waiting for the bridge to open. ( State Patrol)