‘Reign of terror.’ Pierce County man charged with Labor Day shooting spree on I-5

Sep. 6—A Fircrest man is accused of shooting several people along Interstate 5, leaving one person critically injured on Labor Day.

King County prosecutors charged Eric Perkins, 44, with five counts of first-degree assault on Thursday afternoon. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 19 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Perkins is expected to enter an initial plea to the charges, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Perkins is being held at the King County Jail on a $1 million bail, the office said.

In addition to those charges, the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Thursday accused Perkins of four counts of first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm for three shootings alleged to have occurred in its jurisdiction.

It’s unclear if or when Perkins would be brought to Pierce County for arraignment on those charges. A spokesperson for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Adam Faber, said typically his case would be resolved in King County before he could be transferred because that’s where he was first held in custody. Faber said there are a lot of open questions, including the defendant’s competency to stand trial.

Timeline of the shootings

Perkins is accused of injuring six people during a shooting spree as he drove up and down I-5 through Pierce County, King County and likely Snohomish County, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors wrote the first shooting occurred on northbound I-5 near state Route 18 in King County at 8:26 p.m. A man driving a 2022 Tesla with three passengers saw a 2001 Volvo with California plates driving erratically. Perkins allegedly shot at the Tesla twice. A bullet struck one of the passengers sitting in the right rear passenger seat, critically injuring her.

The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The driver said the shooter was wearing a ski mask, court documents show.

The second shooting happened on I-5 north near Martin Luther King Junior Way South in Seattle. A 911 caller said at 8:42 p.m. someone shot through his vehicle’s window and glass shards cut his wife.

A minute later, a man told 911 that his passenger was struck after they heard two gunshots on I-5 northbound. They did not see who shot them, prosecutors wrote.

About two hours later, a man was driving a van on I-5 south near the Tacoma Dome when he reported seeing a white car speeding up and approaching his van on its passenger side, according to charging documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court. At about 10:55 p.m., the man saw a gun protrude from the car’s window and heard two shots. The bullets reportedly went through his van, but he was not injured.

Two more people were shot and struck in the legs at 10:57 p.m. on I-5 south at state Route 18 in King County. A man was driving a 2022 Kia with two passengers and two children. They saw a white Volvo driving aggressively. The Volvo drove up along the Kia’s passenger side where the shooter pointed a handgun at a passenger side door. Two adults were struck and taken to a hospital, prosecutors wrote.

At 11 p.m., a woman was driving on I-5 south near South 375th Street in Federal Way when she was shot at. Her vehicle’s driver and passenger side windows were broken. The woman was not injured, documents show.

Two women were each shot in the neck two minutes later. The victims were in a Tesla traveling south on I-5 near 54th Avenue in Fife when they heard a single gunshot from a white sedan that had pulled alongside them, according to Pierce County Superior Court records. The driver reportedly suffered a “through and through” gunshot wound, and the back of the passenger’s neck was grazed. Both were transported to a hospital. The driver remained hospitalized Thursday, but King County prosecutors said her chance of recovery is good.

One more shooting is alleged to have occurred in Pierce County, according to charging documents, but it’s unclear exactly when or where it happened. A man reported he was traveling on I-5 when a white sedan pulled alongside his vehicle for about five seconds. He heard a single gunshot which shattered his passenger-side window, causing glass to cut his arm.

The arrest

Investigators identified the Volvo as belonging to Perkins through the license plate number and traced it to a University Place address, according to charging documents.

Fircrest and University Place law enforcement went to the address at 11:09 p.m., but the white Volvo was not there. The Volvo later was seen entering an apartment complex near 27th Street West and Grandview Drive, documents show.

As the Volvo continued traveling north, a Fircrest officer deployed spike strips and stopped Perkins’ car. He was arrested and taken into custody. Perkins did not have any firearms on him. A handgun later was found inside the Volvo, with a magazine and loose ammunition inside the car, prosecutors wrote.

Perkins allegedly told a state trooper that he was trying to get help from police because people are “stealing his identity, making threats, and following him …” Perkins indicated that he was in fear for his life, prosecutors wrote. He expressed difficulty getting assistance from police and if necessary “he would take matters of protecting himself into his own hands.”

He alleged that his friend had “loaned him a Glock 40” handgun. Perkins said people driving were trying to run him off the road. He also believed he was being followed so he shot at the people so they could “back off,” court records show. Perkins allegedly indicated that he fired at vehicles four or five times.

Perkins was taken to Tacoma General Hospital because he felt that he was going to pass out during the arrest. At the hospital, Perkins claimed he was a victim of identity theft, prosecutors wrote. He said that he was recently displaced from housing and was at the hospital the day before for an evaluation, according to the charging documents.

Prosecutors described the shooting as a “reign of terror.” WSP continues to receive reports from people who are discovering their vehicles were hit by the bullets, court documents show.

Perkins has prior felony convictions from California including making/passing a fictitious check, receiving known stolen property and burglary.

This story was originally published September 5, 2024, 3:36 PM.