One dead after Eatonville-area shooting

An apparent assailant died in an exchange of gunfire with a homeowner in the Eatonville area Wednesday morning.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff Department, the shooting occurred at a residence in the 43100 block of Mountain Highway East. Deputies responded after a 9-1-1 caller reported at about 7:20 a.m. that a car occupied by several people pulled into the home’s driveway and at least one of the passengers began firing, with some bullets striking a bedroom area.

The caller said he fired one shot back at the suspects, hitting one of them. The others drove away, leaving the wounded 26-year-old man behind. He died at the scene, deputies reported.

An automobile matching the description of the suspects’ vehicle was stopped by deputies in the 37000 block of Mountain Highway East. Two males, 31 and 17 years old, were taken into custody.

Identities of anyone involved in the shooting, including the man who died, weren’t released. An investigation was continuing.

According to authorities, the homeowner said his teenage son received a threat overnight from someone who threatened to “shoot up the house.”