Police officers said Sunday’s tense standoff with a gunman in Arlington could have ended much worse. In addition to one man who was shot in the leg, another man was grazed in the head by a bullet and two young children were in the direct line of fire when the man started shooting.
Eben Shay, 28, came close to death after his neighbor opened fire around 1:30 p.m.
“I was nearly shot in the head,” said Shay.
Shay had just left his house to work on a boat in Bellingham when a neighbor opened fire, hitting his car four times. One of the bullets grazed the back of his head.
“I never really thought I would have to duck away from bullets and hightail it out of where I grew up,” said Shay.
The gunman started shooting at whatever moved, including a young father standing outside his home. He was hit in the leg. His wife and two young children were out doing yard work and nearly escaped injury.
Bullets hit one other car and a boat, and police said when they showed up, he fired at them as well. Witnesses said the shooter appeared more like a sniper.
“He had a military style rifle with tripod and he was in camo, and he was basically taking shots at anything that went by,” said Bob MacQuarrie, witness.
Scanner traffic obtained by KING 5 records what appear to be deputies taking out the gunman, although police will not confirm how he was killed. They are still not naming the suspect, only describing him as a 60-year-old white male who had been living in the house for some time.
He was a mystery to most who live in the area. Neighbors describe him as a strange loner who may have had mental health issues.
“He would talk like anti-government stuff,” said one neighbor.
Neighbor Michael Cooper, who lives across the street from the property in question, said he hears shots come from the property every Sunday afternoon.
Police say the shooter was later found dead. They have not confirmed whether police killed him or if he killed himself.
As for Shay, it was a weekend that was not holiday.
“This is just crazy,” said Shay. “I’m really glad to be alive. It could have turned out completely different.”
The man who was shot in the leg was taken to the hospital. He is expected to be ok.
KING 5's Eric Wilkinson contributed to this report.
