RENTON, Wash. – A North Bend couple is hoping for an arrest after someone shot out the window of their SUV while they were driving on I-405 near Renton on Sunday.
They say a driver wearing a hoodie shot at them multiple times on northbound I-405 near State Route 169 in what they believe was a random road rage shooting.
The couple says that the shooter passed them by the driver’s side door, then fired four to five times before hitting the side panel on the back and speeding away.
“I heard ‘pop, pop, pop’ and just grabbed her and ducked down as fast as possible,” said the man.
It was nearly a deadly end to the holiday season for the couple, who didn’t want their names used for safety reasons.
“We were just celebrating holidays with my family the day before and, bang,” she said.
They say a shooter targeted them as they were coming back from the airport Sunday, where the man works.
The woman was in the driver’s seat.
“We did pretty well keeping our composure,” she said. “That was definitely a surreal experience I never ever thought I’d experience in my lifetime.”
The accused shooter was driving a light-colored, or silver-colored Ford Crown Victoria. The driver started weaving around them before they said he opened fire.
“Came around in front of us and then back around to the side of us,” said the couple.
“All of a sudden we heard something that sounded like a car backfiring and then our window broke and we realized we were being shot at,” they said.
As the bullet hit the car door, the glass went flying.
“We ducked and took the first exit that we could,” he said.
“We were able to get all the way over to the right, and at the first exit we could we turned off and parked and then panicked,” she said.
The two couldn’t see a license plate, but said it was a distinctive car and a distinctive suspect.
“Early 2000 Crown Victoria, white male, dirty blonde hair, black hoodie,” he said.
It’s unclear what prompted the shooting, though the woman speculates that it was road rage, because she didn’t merge fast enough.
“I think afterwards, after we pulled off the highway, that’s when the nerves start. That’s when your hands start shaking,” they said.
They felt fortunate to escape without injury.
“I think we were going 60 mph on a freeway surrounded by a ton of other cars,” she said. “Thankfully we kept our cool, didn’t swerve, didn’t hit anyone else.”
“Thankfully no one else got hit,” he said.
If you know who is responsible for the shooting, contact the Washington State Patrol.
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