‘SURREAL’

Witness Saw Gunman in Bulletproof Vest Shut Down Courthouse

A witness has described how a gunman entered a county courthouse and began a scuffle with officers, eventuating in an hours-long standoff.

A witness has described the moments he saw a gunman during an hours-long barricaded standoff with the police at a county courthouse. The Snohomish County Courthouse was put on lockdown shortly before 1 p.m. Monday, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said. The witness, who said he was standing at the metal detector at the time, told FOX13 that the gunman walked through the door wearing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest and holding a gun, rifle, and another firearm in his backpack. After a scuffle with officers, the man refused to put his guns down, saying, “You can’t make me do it,” the witness said. “It seemed surreal to start with and then we realized he was serious about what he was doing and it was time to get out of there,” he said. “I realized he was holding one [gun] in both his hands too and that was enough for me to get out of there.” The witness said he made it to the second floor and found a back exit after being barricaded inside the room. The gunman, identified only as a 32-year-old male ​​from Woodinville, Washington, was finally taken into custody by 3:30 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office said. He was detained without injury and no one was hurt during the altercation. The investigation remains active while an additional update will be provided once the suspect has his initial court appearance on Tuesday, cops said.