In a shocking turn of events, Washington State Patrol (WSP) has announced that they have a suspect in custody for a series of freeway shootings. The shootings, which occurred on Tuesday night, have been categorized as a "mass shooting event" by WSP Communications Director Chris Loftis.

The shooting spree resulted in three people being hospitalized, with one woman critically injured. Two of the injured individuals were traveling in the same vehicle, according to officials. Witnesses across four different scenes described the suspect vehicle as a white Volvo with California license plates.

The first incident took place on northbound I-5 at 320th around 8:26 p.m., where a passenger sustained injuries. Just fifteen minutes later, another shooting was reported on northbound I-5 at MLK. In this case, a victim reported being shot and the vehicle was damaged, though no suspect vehicle description is available.

At 8:43 p.m., a third shooting occurred on northbound I-5 at I-90, resulting in an injured passenger. The Seattle Fire Department attended the scene, providing critical medical attention to a 20-year-old woman who was later transported to Harborview Medical Center.

WSP received calls regarding a fourth shooting at 10:57 p.m. on southbound I-5 at SR 18. Both the driver and passenger sustained leg injuries but have since been released from the hospital. Just a minute later, troopers received reports of a fifth shooting on southbound I-5 near 37th, although no injuries were reported apart from broken windows.

The sixth shooting took place around 11:01 p.m. on southbound I-5 at 54th in Pierce County. The victim was shot in the neck and was quickly transported to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment.

A seventh shooting came to light when a victim realized they may have been involved after seeing news coverage of the incidents. The individual initially believed they had been struck by rocks while on South 320th, but later discovered bullet holes in their vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this case.

WSP has acknowledged that they do not currently have a motive for the shootings and believe them to be random acts of violence with no connection between them. Captain Ron Mead from WSP expressed concern about the impact these incidents have on public trust in the transportation system, emphasizing the need for a safe and secure environment for road users.

This marks the second time in less than a year that a mass shooting has occurred on I-5, according to Captain Mead. Pierce County Sheriff's Department deputies were actively searching for the suspect vehicle when they spotted it pulling into an apartment complex in Tacoma. Following a brief chase, the suspect vehicle was stopped and the individual was arrested and booked into King County jail.

WSP has urged any potential victims or witnesses to come forward with information, as they suspect there may be more individuals affected by these shootings. The number of freeway shooting investigations in King County has seen an increase, with 37 already recorded this year compared to 30 at the same time last year and 40 for the same period in 2022.