A 68-year-old Tenino man accused of fatally shooting a person at a Tenino area bar Tuesday is being held in the Thurston County jail without bail.
Curtis Gilbert Gibson attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred before 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at Old Highway 99 Company Bar and Grill near Offut Lake. Deputies arrested Gibson at the scene on suspicion of first-degree murder. Bar patrons at Old Highway 99 Company Bar and Grill near Tenino restrained Gibson immediately after the shooting.
Patrons told law enforcement that Gibson shot the victim during an altercation with members of a motorcycle club, according to court records. The victim died at the scene.
Deputies also arrested Gibson's wife in connection with the altercation. However, her hearing was stricken from the preliminary appearance calendar and she is no longer listed on the jail roster as of Wednesday afternoon.
Judge Christopher Lanese ordered Gibson be held without bail until further order after finding probable cause for the alleged crime. Prosecutors have until the end of the day Friday to file charges against Gibson or else the order expires, according to court records.
In a motion to the court, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Filak asked for Gibson to be denied bail because his alleged actions showed he's a threat to public safety.
Filak alleged Gibson shot the victim from his vehicle and then shot the victim again after the victim fell to the ground.
William Starnes, Gibson's public defense attorney, sat next to his client in a jail booth. He opposed Filak's motion and asked the court to set bail. The left side of Gibson's face appeared injured with a black eye.
Gibson's criminal history includes convictions for reckless driving and hit-and-run stemming from a 2015 Thurston County District Court case.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the fatal shooting from the perspective of law enforcement.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office responded to the shooting at 5:45 p.m. along with the Tenino Police Department and Tenino Fire Department. The statement says they found Gibson with blood all over his face and an injury to his left eye.
The victim had a gunshot wound on his right side and one in the center of his abdomen, according to the statement. Another bullet fragment was reportedly found stuck in the victim's keys in his pocket.
Witnesses told law enforcement they observed a Red Kia arrive at the scene at a high rate of speed just prior to the altercation. The driver, later identified to be Gibson, allegedly stopped suddenly in front of some motorcycles.
Several motorcyclists emerged from the bar and approached the driver's side door of the Kia. The witnesses said the motorcyclists reached into the car and one of them smashed a cellphone on the ground, according to the statement.
Witnesses reportedly observed one of the motorcyclists enter the backseat of the Kia before getting on a motorcycle and leaving the area toward Offut Lake. The statement indicates they saw Gibson's wife exit the front passenger seat and stumble around.
At that point, the witnesses turned away from the altercation and heard gunshots.
The statement says the Kia was parked in front of four black motorcycles at the scene and a black folding knife on one of them. Deputies suspect this knife may have been used to slash the tires of the Kia.
One of the motorcyclists told law enforcement Gibson and his wife got into the confrontation with the same group of people two hours before the shooting. The pair reportedly left the scene in the same Kia they arrived in later.
The motorcyclist alleged Gibson returned, got out of his vehicle and acted like he was going to push the club's motorcycles down. The club members reportedly confronted Gibson to stop him from damaging their motorcycles.
Some club members pushed Gibson into the driver seat right before he allegedly opened fire on the victim, according to the statement.
Another motorcyclist corroborated the story, per the statement, adding Gibson allegedly fired at the victim one more time after he fell to the ground.
The statement indicates one of the motorcyclists was an ex-partner of Gibson's wife.
Law enforcement found four spent casings and one live round in a revolver that was recovered from the scene, according to the statement.
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