Suspect arrested in string of I-5 shootings

University Place Deputies locate and help WSP Troopers arrest suspect from several shootings on I-5 on Labor Day.

PCSD BLOTTERhttps://t.co/q8JlO9w40e pic.twitter.com/ArwZzSaWwV

— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) September 3, 2024

The alleged suspect in six shootings that occurred over two hours Sept. 2, beginning on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, was arrested and faces potential charges of five counts of first-degree assault, each with a firearm enhancement. He is being held on $1 million bail.

Shortly after the shootings, Eric Perkins was arrested in University Place by a Fircrest police officer and a Washington State Patrol trooper at about 12:40 a.m. Sept. 3 after it was found that Perkins was associated with a white Volvo S60 with California plates that was reported as used to carry out the shootings.

According to probable cause documents, five people were injured in the shootings.

Washington State Patrol reports that the shootings allegedly occurred as follows on Sept. 2:

• Three of the shootings occurred while the suspect was in Federal Way on I-5 at 8:26 p.m., 10:57 p.m., and at 10:58 p.m.

• At 8:26 p.m. on northbound I-5 and State Route 18, several rounds were fired from a white Volvo, striking a passenger. The driver took the South 320th Street exit and contacted a fire station. The female passenger was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The victim is still hospitalized in critical condition.

• At 8:42 p.m. on northbound I-5 near MLK Jr. Way, a victim reported being shot at, but had no description of the suspect vehicle. A passenger suffered abrasions from broken glass. There was no medical treatment required.

• At 8:43 p.m. on northbound I-5, just south of I-90, a victim reported being shot at by an unknown vehicle and suffered a grazing wound to the leg. The victim was transported to Harborview and was later released.

• At 10:57 p.m. on southbound I-5 near SR 18, victims reported being shot at by someone in a white Volvo. The driver and passenger suffered non-life-threatening wounds to the legs and have since been released from the hospital.

• At 10:58 p.m. on southbound I-5 near S. 375th Street, a victim reported being shot at by someone in a white Volvo. No injuries were reported, but car windows were broken.

• At 11:01 p.m. on southbound I-5 near 54th Street in Pierce County, a victim reported being shot at by someone in a white Volvo. The victim was struck in the neck and transported to St. Joseph’s Medical Center.

WSP Chief John R. Batiste said in a press release that the shootings were not acceptable and that people have the right to travel safely in Washington. He added that WSP instituted extra patrols along the I-5 corridor that night and that speaking for all in law enforcement, the victims and their loved ones remained in their thoughts as they hoped and prayed for full and speedy recoveries.

“I appreciate our partners in service in the Fircrest, University Place, Lakewood, Puyallup, and Tacoma police departments,” Batiste said. “They, along with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, played pivotal roles in the apprehension of a dangerous individual who seemed intent on doing grave harm.”

Perkins’ side of the story

According to the probable cause documents, when Perkins spoke with officers, he said that he had been trying to get assistance from Tacoma and Fircrest police because people had been trying to steal his identity, making threats, and following him. Perkins said that he had trouble contacting police, and if necessary, he would take matters into his own hands. He said his friend “Jay” had recently loaned him a Glock 40 handgun.

Officers asked Perkins if he had the handgun to protect himself recently, and he said he had. According to documents, Perkins indicated that he had fired at vehicles four or five times, had driven from Tacoma to Everett, and had shot the gun a few times to get the people who were following him to back off. He said he was unsure if he shot anyone.

Additional correspondence with officers revealed that Perkins had been displaced from housing the day before and went to the hospital for evaluation, but he had not received the help he wanted, so he obtained a handgun. Perkins said he loaded the handgun with three or four bullets at a time and that everywhere he went, people were following him.

Perkins told officers that vehicles were trying to box him in, and he shot at them to get them to stop. The documents said he confirmed that he had driven along I-5 and shot at vehicles, but he did not indicate where or the exact number of vehicles he shot at. Perkins told officers that the handgun he had used was between the center console and the front passenger seat when officers had stopped him. When officers towed his vehicle, they located the handgun between the center console and the front passenger seat, a magazine on the front passenger floorboard, and ammunition loose within the vehicle.

Perkins is currently at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle.