UPDATE 4:15pm with information from officials. Corrections noted where required.
Friday evening around 9pm, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies responded to a shots fired complaint. What they found has yet to be revealed by officials but two Lummi Peninsula residents were booked soon after into the Whatcom County Jail charged with attempted murder.
According to WCSO records officials deputies were dispatched to the 2600 block of Cagey Road 3200 block of Bennett Drive in Bellingham, Friday, March 9th, at 9:10pm after receiving a report of shots fired in the area.
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Click for more informationThe following news release was received from the WCSO Monday afternoon,
Deputies contacted the occupants of a residence in the immediate area, who reported unknown suspects had fired multiple shots at the residence. The occupants indicated that a 17-year-old male was on the porch and nearly struck by the gunfire. The 17-year-old victim stated he had heard the shot go past his head and then strike the front of the residence.
Deputies observed where a bullet had struck the front of the residence, as well a multiple bullet holes in two vehicles that were parked near the residence. During a search of the area, deputies were able to locate numerous 9mm shell casings where witnesses reported the shooter fired from.
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The occupants of the residence told deputies that a female friend had come over after having a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, identified as Gene PARKER. PARKER reportedly called the residence multiple times looking for his girlfriend and became upset when the resident was not forthcoming about the female’s whereabouts. On one of the last phone calls, PARKER concluded by stating, “I got something for you, I’ll come over and give it to you…” The resident reported that approximately 30 minutes after the threat, the shooting occurred.
Deputies located PARKER at his residence in the 2500 block of Cagey Rd. A second suspect, Robert CHASE, who also lives on Cagey Rd., was contacted after deputies were told he was involved in the shooting on Bennett Dr. Both PARKER and CHASE denied any involvement in the shooting.
A witness reported that both PARKER and CHASE obtained firearms from CHASE’s residence and then drove to the Bennett Dr. location. Upon arrival, they exited the vehicle and the witness heard multiple shots. PARKER and CHASE then returned to the vehicle and fled the scene. After the shooting, PARKER reportedly stated, “I think I got one…or I think I must have hit one…” The suspects then returned to the Cagey Rd. locations.
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After interviewing the involved parties, deputies applied for and were granted a search warrant for CHASE’s residence. Upon execution of the search warrant, deputies located several firearms, to include a 9mm handgun, .22 handgun, .22 rifle and two AR-15 rifles. Deputies noted that the 9mm handgun smelled of gunpowder.
But Whatcom County Jail records do show Gene O. Parker, age 31, and Robert K. Chase, age unknown 54, both showing the same recent address in the 2600 block of Cagey Road, were booked into the Whatcom County Jail Saturday morning charged with, among others things, 1st degree attempted murder and 1st degree unlawful possession of a firearm with each suspect held on $1,000,000 bail.
The WCSO news release pointed out that “Parker and Chase are convicted felons and [therefore] precluded from legally possessing firearms.”
Court records indicate Parker has 3 prior convictions for 3rd degree assault in 2004, 2009 and 2015 along with convictions for possession of stolen property in 2006 and possession of a stolen vehicle in 2008.
Court records also show Chase was under pre-trial release while awaiting trail on May 21st for 2nd degree unlawful possession of a firearm charge from an arrest in August 2017. Chase is reported to have been previously charged with a felony which makes possession of a firearm illegal unless steps had been taken to restore that right. A condition of the pre-trial release was he not possess firearms.