2016 Mukilteo shooting

Last updated
2016 Mukilteo shooting
Location Mukilteo, Washington, U.S.
DateJuly 30, 2016 (2016-07-30)
c. 12:00 a.m. (PDT)
Attack type
 Mass shooting
Weapons Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle
Deaths3
Injured1
PerpetratorAllen Christopher Ivanov
MotiveJealousy over a recent breakup

On July 30, 2016, a mass shooting occurred during a house party held by students of the University of Washington and Kamiak High School in the community of Mukilteo. Three people were killed and a fourth was injured. Afterwards, the gunman fled the scene.

Contents

Ninety minutes after the shooting, a suspect, identified as 19-year-old Allen Christopher Ivanov, was arrested near Chehalis. On August 2, he was charged with aggravated murder, attempted murder, and assault; and he pleaded not guilty to all of the charges on August 22. On December 19, 2016, to avoid the death penalty, Ivanov waived his right to appeal his sentence and pleaded guilty to the killings. On January 12, 2017, Ivanov was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The shooting led to calls for gun control in Washington state.

Shooting

Before the shooting, a house party was being held in Mukilteo. About fifteen to twenty university and high school students, most of them graduates, were in attendance. The gunman arrived at the party at around 10:00 p.m. and observed the party unarmed. [1] [2] [3] [4]

After some time, he retrieved his rifle, crept around the side of the house, and concealed himself along a wall near the living room. He was discovered by Jacob Long, who he shot and killed just after midnight. Jacob was hit 3 times in the back after saying "no, no, no". He collapsed and died next to the pathway on the ground. Ivanov continued firing outside, wounding Will Kramer but Will was able to escape by crawling away. Attention turned towards Jordan Ebner who was also shot outside. Ivanov then walked in through patio doors to where Anna Bui was sitting at a kitchen table. He shot her multiple times point blank with some shots hitting her face. Afterwards, the gunman went upstairs to a balcony on the master bedroom, and began firing down onto two men, grazing the leg of the young man, whose parents owned the house. The two men escaped. [1] [2] [3] [4]

During the shooting, some survivors hid and contacted their relatives. A total of three people were killed and a fourth person was injured. [1] [2]

Right after the shooting, the suspect fled the house after realizing he had run out of ammunition. [3] Local detectives tracked him down by pinging his cellphone and contacting the Washington State Patrol for assistance. Ninety minutes later, he was arrested without incident by state troopers on an interstate near Chehalis, over 100 miles (160 km) away from the crime scene. An AR-15-type rifle and two magazines were recovered from his vehicle. [2] [5] [6]

Perpetrator and victims

Perpetrator

Allen Christopher Ivanov (born September 14, 1996), a 19-year-old software engineer and student at the University of Washington Bothell, [7] was identified as the suspect in the shooting. Days before the shooting, he made troubling posts on his Twitter account and also posted Instagram photos of a rifle and three bullets. [1] [5] He was reportedly familiar to those who attended the party. [2] According to a LinkedIn profile, Ivanov attended Kamiak High School from 2011 to 2015, and was the founder of a company that described itself as "an open source laser tag system". [5]

About a week before the shooting, Ivanov purchased the rifle he used, and then purchased a second magazine on the day prior. [3] According to court documents, right before committing the shooting, Ivanov read the rifle's manual. He also sent text messages to his friends, including one in Tennessee, alluding to his plans to commit a mass shooting a couple of days beforehand, calling himself a "future shooter". [8] [9] Police say he was motivated by the recent breakup between him and one of the victims, and his anger that his ex-girlfriend seemed to be moving along in her life. [10]

Victims

The victims were identified as: [1] [5] [8] [11]

After his arrest, police said Ivanov confessed to committing the shooting, [10] but initially added that it was an accident, and that he had been confused that night and therefore not thinking straight. [15] He was held in Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of one count of aggravated first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree murder, and one count of attempted first-degree murder. [8]

During a court appearance on August 1, Ivanov's lawyer questioned the ease of his client to legally purchase an AR-15 with a high-capacity magazine while he is still not legally able to drink alcohol. [3] Ivanov was not granted bail. [8] On the next day, he was charged with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and one charge of first-degree assault. [10] On August 22, he pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. His next court appearance was scheduled on December 19. [4] [16] On that day, Ivanov pleaded guilty to the killings, reportedly before prosecutors had made a decision on whether or not to pursue a death sentence against him. [17] On January 12, 2017, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. [18] Ivanov is currently imprisoned in the Stafford Creek Corrections Center. [19]

Reactions

Mayor Jennifer Gregerson said that the Mukilteo community was "shaken to its core". [1] [2] Governor Jay Inslee sent his condolences to the victims' families and the survivors, praised the actions of law enforcement, and declared his support for Mukilteo during the investigation. [20] The University of Washington also released a statement in reaction to the shooting. [21]

A total of 200 people attended a vigil at Kamiak High School on the day after the shooting. [1] [2] Another vigil was held at a local church, which was attended by 800 people, including Governor Inslee, who made a statement mentioning gun violence in the country. [22] The flags at Mukilteo City Hall were lowered to half-mast. [5] On August 26, people familiar with the victims gathered to organize a benefit concert for their families. [23]

Following the shooting, an alliance, titled Mukilteo Strong Alliance, was formed by Mukilteo residents. Its plans were to create a permanent memorial in honor of the victims, as well as finding ways for the community to heal and move forward. Its first meeting was held on September 20 and attended by family and friends of the victims, non-profit organizations, and counselors. [24]

On September 7, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson cited the shooting when he called on the Washington State Legislature to pass a state law barring the sales of assault weapons like the one used in the shooting, restricting magazines carrying over ten rounds, and requiring persons buying ammunition to undergo a background check, saying such a measure "will save lives". The parents of injured victim Will Kramer, who are supporters of a Washington-based gun control advocacy group, urged people to remember the victims of gun violence and for lawmakers to support Ferguson's proposal. [25] [26] [27] [28] The proposal received opposition from the National Rifle Association of America. [28]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bult, Laura; Wagner, Meg; Blakinger, Keri (July 31, 2016). "Gunman who killed three at house party in small Washington suburb identified as UW student". The New York Daily News. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "University of Washington identifies student killed at party". The Washington Post. Associated Press. July 31, 2016. Archived from the original on July 31, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Land, Ted; Hahn, Elisa (August 1, 2016). "Mukilteo shooting suspect bought gun week before murders, texted warning". KING-TV. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Sullivan, Jennifer (August 22, 2016). "Decision on death penalty in Mukilteo shooting months away". KOMO News. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Bernton, Hal; Beekman, Daniel (July 30, 2016). "Hugs, tears and messages scrawled in chalk: Hundreds mourn Mukilteo victims". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ Hahn, Elisa (August 5, 2016). "Dash cam footage shows Mukilteo shooting suspect arrest". KING-TV. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "University of Washington identifies student killed at party". Boston Herald. Associated Press. July 31, 2016. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016. Alt URL
  8. 1 2 3 4 "The Latest: Lawyer for teen in killings questions gun sales". The Washington Times . Associated Press. August 1, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Man texted, 'I'm killing everyone' at party, documents say". Fox News. Associated Press. August 19, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "Man charged with murdering 3 at suburban Seattle party". Oregon Live. Associated Press. August 2, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  11. ↑ Bellisle, Martha (August 9, 2016). "'My friends might be dead' - 911 tapes of shooting released". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  12. ↑ "3 Killed in Shooting in North Seattle". The New Nation. Dhaka, India. July 31, 2016. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Survivor of Mukilteo shooting released from hospital". The Seattle Times. August 15, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  14. ↑ Lee, Jessica (August 2, 2016). "Father of wounded Mukilteo 18-year-old: 'He's hurting inside and out'". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Suspect initially claimed fatal Mukilteo shooting was an accident". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. September 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Man pleads not guilty in fatal shootings at house party". Minneapolis Star-Tribune . Associated Press. August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Allen Ivanov pleads guilty to 3 slayings at Mukilteo house party". The Seattle Times. December 19, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Victims' loved ones share their pain as Mukilteo shooter Allen Ivanov is sentenced to life". The Seattle Times. January 12, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Inmate Search | Washington State Department of Corrections".
  20. ↑ Inslee, Jay (July 30, 2016). "Statement From Gov. Jay Inslee Regarding This Morning's Shooting In Mukilteo". States News Service. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  21. ↑ Land, Ted (July 31, 2016). "Mukilteo learning names of young shooting victims". KING-TV. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  22. ↑ Lindblom, Mike (July 31, 2016). "800 gather to pray, weep at vigil to honor Mukilteo victims". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  23. ↑ Crow, Nadia (August 26, 2016). "Benefit concert raises money for Mukilteo shooting victims' families". Q13 Fox. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  24. ↑ Rozier, Alex (September 20, 2016). "Mukilteo Strong Alliance launches Tuesday night". KING-TV. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  25. ↑ Orenstein, Walker (September 7, 2016). "With Mukilteo killings in mind, state attorney general asks state to ban assault weapons" . The Bellingham Herald. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  26. ↑ Land, Ted (October 9, 2016). "Father of Mukilteo shooting victim urges lawmakers to ban assault weapons". KING-TV. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  27. ↑ Groover, Heidi (September 7, 2016). "After Mukilteo Shooting, State Attorney General Proposes Ban on Assault Weapons". The Stranger. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  28. 1 2 Cornfield, Jerry (September 21, 2016). "Tired of waiting, Ferguson wants ban on assault weapon sales". Herald Net. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
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