A teen and a young woman were hospitalized after the domestic violence shooting, police said.
ALGONA, Wash. — A domestic violence shooting that rattled a small King County neighborhood Tuesday morning ended when a police officer shot and killed an armed suspect as two relatives, including a 14-year-old boy, were rushed to the hospital, authorities said.
The shooting set off lockdowns at a nearby school and at Algona City Hall and drew officers from multiple agencies to the area near Milwaukee Boulevard North and Fifth Avenue Northeast. Police recovered a rifle and said an outside investigative team will review the officer’s use of deadly force, as investigators work to confirm what triggered the violence inside and outside the home.
Fernando Rubio said the first shot sounded close enough that he grabbed his phone and called 911 almost immediately. “Five seconds into hearing the first shot, I get on the phone with operators to try and get them out here,” Rubio said, describing the tense minutes as he and coworkers tried to figure out where the gunfire was coming from. Rubio said he then saw a man dressed in black moving around with a rifle. He described the shots as spaced apart rather than a rapid burst, and said the scene felt unstable as the gunman moved between the home and the street.
As more shots rang out, Rubio said he and others yelled, “Shots fired!” hoping to alert people nearby. Rubio said the gunman appeared to notice the shouting and pointed the rifle in their direction, prompting them to scramble for cover. He said he could not tell whether any bullets were fired toward them. Police later described the suspect as a man in his late 30s from Algona and said the situation was still active when officers arrived, with gunfire continuing.
Algona Police Chief James Schrimpsher said two Algona officers and a Pacific police officer reached the scene around 9 a.m. after a report of domestic violence with shots fired. Schrimpsher said the Pacific officer confronted the suspect at close range and shot him. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, despite life-saving efforts. Authorities said two family members had already been shot: a 14-year-old boy and a young woman. Hospital officials said the teen was in critical condition later Tuesday, and the woman’s condition was described as satisfactory in a separate update.
Investigators said they were still working to nail down key details, including whether the victims and suspect all lived in the home and what led to shots being fired outside. Witnesses reported seeing at least one shattered window at the house that may have been struck during the gunfire. Schrimpsher said the department had not been previously called to the home for issues and described the family as “not familiar” to local police, while cautioning that detectives were still gathering background information and statements.
The neighborhood response unfolded quickly as officers secured the area. Rubio said family members appeared distraught and stood only a short distance from crime-scene tape while police marked evidence and interviewed witnesses. Rubio said he helped guide some relatives away from the scene to a nearby convenience store, where they waited in silence. “Shock. Shock. I mean there was no words,” he said, describing a moment when there was no yelling, just stunned quiet as they tried to process what had happened.
Authorities said the Valley Independent Investigative Team is leading the review of the police shooting. Investigators are expected to collect body-worn camera video if available, review dispatch and radio traffic, and interview officers and witnesses, then provide findings to prosecutors. Police did not release the suspect’s name or the victims’ names. Officials said the scene was stabilized by late morning, with lockdowns lifted and no officers reported injured.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.