A gunman shot and killed an employee at Eastern State Hospital early Saturday morning, according to the Spokane County sheriff’s office. The suspect engaged in a shootout with police and was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities reported that he was dressed in tactical gear, with both a rifle and a handgun recovered nearby. Located in Medical Lake, Washington, just west of Spokane, Eastern State Hospital is one of two state-run psychiatric facilities for adults in the state.
Preliminary reports suggest that the armed suspect was behaving erratically in Medical Lake and may have been involved in three incidents around the same time. Witnesses described him making “wild statements,” including references to aliens. At around midnight, firefighters responded to a brush fire and encountered a man yelling aggressively. When they requested police assistance, the suspect fled the scene before deputies arrived.
Shortly after, at approximately 1:40 a.m., police received a call about a man with a rifle who had entered a home and fired shots while the occupants hid, though no injuries were reported. About 15 minutes later, another call alerted authorities to the shooting of an Eastern State Hospital employee in the facility’s parking lot, where the suspect took the employee’s radio and began transmitting messages about “an army coming.”
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which operates the hospital, confirmed Saturday afternoon that all patients and staff were accounted for and that the lockdown had been lifted. The department stated it is “working closely with local law enforcement and Governor Ferguson’s office in response to this incident.”
“We are heartbroken as we mourn the violent and tragic loss of one of our employees at Eastern State Hospital,” the agency expressed, extending support to the victim’s loved ones and the staff and patients affected by the tragedy.
A department spokesperson shared a statement from Governor Bob Ferguson, who is currently out of state until October 9. He stated he would be meeting with his team as more details emerge. “My condolences to the victim and their family, and my heart goes out to the staff,” Ferguson said. “We’re committed to ensuring that our hardworking team at Eastern State has the support they need.” Mike Yestramski, President of the Washington Federation of State Employees, expressed his sorrow in a statement: “We grieve the tragic loss of an Eastern State Hospital employee who was murdered by an active shooter overnight at work.”
