Bail is set at $100,000 for a man accused of shooting at people in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Centralia during a dispute on Jan. 21.
Officers responded to a report of a possible shooting in the 1400 block of Johnson Road at 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 21, but all involved parties fled the scene before officers arrived, according to Centralia Police Department call logs.
“Witnesses at the scene had varying accounts of what had happened, but it was developed that an argument was occurring in the parking lot between people associated with a black SUV and another male who produced a firearm and fired a shot towards the people associated with the black SUV,” the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office stated in charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday.
The driver of a red pickup truck, who was identified via Ring camera footage as Cyrus Markstrom, 19, allegedly “exited the vehicle with a firearm in hand,” approached a black SUV with three occupants and fired one shot, according to court documents.
One witness reported that her friend was one of the occupants of the SUV and that she had gone outside to meet her when Markstrom allegedly exited his pickup with a firearm.
“She described the firearm as longer than a pistol but shorter than a rifle. She heard one shot. She did not see the actual shooting as she was running due to fear,” the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office stated in charging documents.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Markstrom arrive in his red pickup truck and “almost immediately remove an AR firearm from his truck as (two of the SUV occupants) exited the black Honda SUV,” according to charging documents.
“In the video, there is an exchange of words,” an officer notes, adding that he “could not see either (SUV occupant) display or brandish any weapons.”
In the video, “Markstrom is seen and heard firing off one round from the firearm in the direction as (the SUV occupants and a witness),” according to court documents. “It appeared to be above their heads an undetermined amount.”
The video reportedly shows the parties exchanging more words before Markstrom is seen putting the firearm back in his truck and walking off camera toward his friend’s residence, according to court documents.
When contacted by an officer, Markstrom “initially said he did not know what happened when he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex” and “said he did not see anyone with a firearm and denied having a firearm as well,” according to court documents.
Markstrom allegedly later “changed his story to indicate that someone had a knife,” according to court documents.
“After some prompting,” the prosecutor’s office stated, Markstrom allegedly “admitted that he had a firearm” and produced a disassembled AR-type firearm.
Markstrom allegedly said he got the firearm from a private party and had fired it once, according to court documents.
“When asked for more details, Markstrom said (an occupant of the SUV) had a knife and possibly a gun,” and reportedly said “he prefers fighting as opposed to using guns.”
Markstrom allegedly “then admitted that he fired one round over the head of (two of the SUV occupants),” according to court documents.
Markstrom alleged that one of the SUV occupants “brandished a firearm at Markstrom” when Markstrom arrived at the apartment complex to visit a friend, according to court documents.
Markstrom was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at approximately 1:59 p.m. on Feb. 12, according to jail records.
He was charged Thursday, Feb. 13, with three counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.
The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
“Mr. Markstrom is very young. He’s only 19 years of age,” said defense attorney Rachael Tiller, who noted that Markstrom has no felony history on his record and asked for bail to be set no higher than $25,000.
The prosecution asked for bail to be set at $150,000 due to community safety concerns.
“I agree that there’s no criminal history that’s of real concern to the court … However, the allegations in this offense are concerning for public safety so I believe that ($100,000) amount is necessary, at least at this point, to protect public safety,” Lewis County Superior Court Judge J. Andrew Toynbee said during Markstrom’s preliminary hearing on Thursday.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20.
