GOLD BAR—The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reports that a 44-year-old Gold Bar man was taken into custody just after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3, for first-degree murder in connection to the Tuesday night homicide in Gold Bar.

Just before 7 p.m. Tuesday, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded to reports of a shooting in Gold Bar. The victims were fleeing from the scene westbound on SR 2 and were located by patrol deputies on Old Owen Rd in Monroe. Upon arrival, deputies located one victim, a 32-year-old woman, deceased in the passenger seat with a single gunshot wound. The driver, a 29-year-old woman, was assaulted and transported to Evergreen Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

During the investigation, Major Crimes Unit (MCU) detectives learned the victims and the suspect met up at Big Eddy boat launch in Gold Bar. While there, a verbal altercation occurred before the suspect shot the 32-year-old victim. The 29-year-old victim was pistol whipped by the suspect. The victims fled in their vehicle westbound on SR 2 towards Monroe where deputies located them.

The suspect fled the scene. Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office Violent Offender Task Force located the suspect. The 44-year-old man ran into the river but was eventually taken into custody near the Ben Howard boat launch in Monroe. He is expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail this afternoon.

This remains an active investigation.

Positive identification of the decedent, as well as cause and manner of death, will come from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.

SOURCE: Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office

EDITOR’S NOTE: Article updated 3:06 a.m., January 4, 2024.