A man’s home caught fire early Sunday morning in Lake Forest Park, and later, he was shot by another homeowner for allegedly burglarizing their home 200 yards away, police say.
The man’s home went up in flames on Ballinger Way Northeast around 3 a.m. Sunday, Lake Forest Park police said. When residents were evacuated, the 40-year-old man left the area on foot.
Fire investigators from the King County sheriff’s office believe the fire was accidental.
His home was “significantly damaged and is currently uninhabitable,” said Lake Forest Park police Commander Ross Adams.
Then, around at 5 a.m., officers responded to reports of a burglary and shooting at the nearby Woodglen Townhouse Condominiums, police said.
When police arrived, they found the man who had left the burning home. He was in the backyard with a gunshot wound to his upper body, police said.
Investigators found that the man had allegedly entered the residence and taken items. The man had approached the homeowner with a metallic object, which was found at the scene, Adams said.
Fearing for their safety, the homeowner shot the man with a pistol, said Sgt. Jason Czebotar. The homeowner was not arrested and cooperated with police.
It did not appear that the man had wandered into the other home by accident, Czebotar said.
The man is in police custody at a hospital where he is being treated, Czebotar said. His exact condition is unknown, but police anticipate he might have a lengthy hospital stay.
Police are investigating the incident but have not yet been able to speak to the man, Adams said.
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