The shooting that occurred the evening of Friday, June 17, at the Drexel House Apartments in the 600 block of Pattison St SE, at this time appears to be a self-defense shooting as police say the shooter is not in custody.
Thurston County Scanner, News, and Weather Blog originally reported the incident on Facebook on Friday. Olympia Police were dispatched to the scene at 9:44 pm. 911 reports said that a man had been shot in the lobby, and the shooter was still on scene and another person had secured the firearm in an office.
Olympia Police along with paramedics from Olympia Fire responded and attempted life-saving measures on the man but he died at the scene, according to scanner traffic.
Police say the man was highly agitated and was causing a disturbance outside, then entered the lobby of the apartment complex where he drew a large knife and charged a man sitting in a chair. The man sitting in the chair drew a pistol and shot him twice.
The shooter and witnesses were taken to Olympia Police Department and interviewed by detectives. At this time, the shooter has not been charged and the case remains an open investigation.
According to the Housing Authority of Thurston County, The Drexel House II for Veterans is “permanent supportive housing subsidized with project-based Vouchers.” It is owned and managed by Catholic Community Services. Qualifications are “Single individuals who are chronically homeless at time of application and who may benefit from case management services. There is a priority for honorably discharged veterans.”
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