A 19-year-old man and 16 year old girl were shot following an argument on the Lake Wilderness Trail near the Katesridge neighborhood in Maple Valley Tuesday afternoon.
Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the King County Sheriff’s Office, said the two teens who appeared to be a couple were walking along the trail when they encountered two other males who deputies believed to be 18 years old.
“Words were exchanged,” Urquhart said. “The suspect pulled out a gun. More words were exchanged (about colors). One shot was fired. The shooters ran off. We caught them a few blocks away.”
Both suspects were caught northeast of the scene of the shooting at Rock Creek Elementary School about 30 to 40 minutes after the incident and Urquhart said the pistol used in the shooting was recovered.
Dale Martens, who lives near an entrance to the trail in the Katesridge neighborhood, said he had just pulled up about five minutes after the shooting happened.
A neighbor told him that there were some kids shooting off fireworks on the trail again so he walked over to survey the scene.
“A lady came running across the park asking me what the street number was,” Martens said, explaining the woman had called 911 for help.
Urquhart said the call came into dispatchers at 1:31 p.m.
As Martens approached the park next to his house and the trail, the 25-year Air Force veteran said one person was standing up while two people appeared to be lying on the ground near the trail entrance.
He tried to assist the victims, Martens said, but Sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly thereafter and asked him to put his hands up. After determining he was not involved, police allowed Martens to go back to his house, where he watched the action.
“Two medics came down the trail … to help the wounded on the ground,” Martens said. “She appeared to be hit on the side of the head and he was hit on the shoulder.”
Urquhart described the young man’s wound as “through and through” shot to the shoulder.
Martens said it appeared as though the bullet grazed the girl’s eyebrow.
Both victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
The shooting didn’t surprise Martens, who said he has witnessed what he described as “suspicious activities” late at night on the trail.
He praised the emergency responders because “they were here pretty quick.”
Urquhart wanted to emphasize,”We don’t want people to think it’s a random thing.”
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