Lacey police responded to a road rage incident that escalated into a fatal shooting Friday, leaving one man dead and another facing murder charges.
Police responded to the incident on Friday, December 19, in the 2400 block of Marvin Road Northeast. Officers found a 48-year-old man with a gunshot wound lying in the roadway.
Despite life-saving efforts by Lacey Fire Department medics, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
A 24-year-old man, who admitted to being the shooter, was located nearby shortly after the incident.
Witnesses reported that the confrontation began as a road rage dispute between two vehicles traveling on Marvin Road. The victim stopped his vehicle and exited, leading to an exchange of words with the other driver before the suspect fired a shot from inside his car.
After shooting the victim, the suspect called 911 to report the incident.
Detectives interviewed the suspect, who was subsequently booked into Thurston County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to call 360-704-2740 and reference the case.
The road rage origin of the shooting suggests the two men were strangers who encountered each other on the road rather than people with a prior relationship. Traffic disputes between unknown drivers represent some of the most unpredictable and dangerous confrontations because neither party has any context about the other’s mental state or intentions.
The victim exiting his vehicle represents an escalation that transformed a driving dispute into a face-to-face confrontation. Remaining in vehicles during traffic disagreements provides physical barriers that can prevent violence, while getting out removes that protection.
The exchange of words before the shooting indicates some verbal confrontation occurred, though the specific content of that exchange hasn’t been disclosed. What was said could be relevant to determining whether the shooter felt threatened or whether the shooting was an aggressive rather than defensive act.
The suspect firing from inside his vehicle while the victim stood outside creates questions about self-defense claims. Washington law allows people to use deadly force when they reasonably believe they face imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, but shooting someone from inside a locked vehicle at a person standing outside may not meet that standard.
The suspect’s decision to call 911 after the shooting could indicate several things: genuine belief he acted in self-defense, awareness that witnesses would report the incident anyway, or remorse after the fact. Defense attorneys often point to 911 calls as evidence their clients weren’t fleeing guilt.
The second-degree murder charge rather than first-degree suggests prosecutors don’t believe the shooting was premeditated. Second-degree murder in Washington involves intentional killing without premeditation or killing someone while committing certain felonies.
The Marvin Road Northeast location places the incident in a commercial and residential area of Lacey where traffic can be heavy, particularly during Friday afternoon and evening hours. Multiple witnesses likely observed at least parts of the confrontation.
The 48-year-old victim’s age suggests a middle-aged man, possibly heading home from work or running errands on a Friday evening. His family now faces the holidays without him because of a traffic dispute that turned deadly.
The 24-year-old suspect’s age means he faces decades in prison if convicted. Second-degree murder in Washington carries a sentencing range of roughly 10 to 18 years for someone with no criminal history, though aggravating factors could increase that.
