Shawna Umphrey, 19, was one of two victims shot in her front yard during an argument involving a dog defecating in a neighbor’s front yard Wednesday night
A man allegedly shot two people before shooting himself in a SWAT standoff, all because they supposedly allowed a dog to poop in his front yard.
Henry Castro, 62, of Yakima, Washington, is said to have shot Shawna Umphrey, 19, and Michael Bretches, 43, in Shawna’s front yard on Wednesday night, before leading police into a hours-long standoff that ended with Castro shooting himself.
The incident took place at about 9.15pm, when Castro approached Shawna, Bretches and his cousin, Carl Stone, who were all in Shawna’s front yard at the time, according to WJAC.
Stone said Castro accused the group of allowing their dog to defecate in Castro’s front yard.
After that, Castro grabbed Bretches ‘by the neck, and then he pointed the gun towards his neck and he said, “Now, you’re gonna die,”‘ Stone recalled.
‘I was gonna try to do something, and he pointed the gun to me, he said, “You do anything, I’m gonna shoot you.”‘
Stone said that they all tried to run away, but Castro shot Shawna and Bretches.
Holding her arm out to the side, Shawna’s mother, Marcie Umphrey, said of Castro that ‘He pointed it at her like that, and shot her.’
‘I just broke down, cried hysterically,’ Marcie said.
Shawna (left) went into surgery for multiple bullet wounds and is expected to fully recover. Her mother, Marcie Umphrey (right), said that she ‘broke down, cried hysterically’ after the shooting
The shooting took place in the front yard of Shawna’s home in Yakima, Washington
A witness said that alleged shooter Henry Castro, 62, fled back to his own home (pictured) after he shot Shawna and Michael Bretches, 43, in Shawna’s front yard
After shooting the two people, Castro apparently ran back to his own home, while other neighbors called police.
When police arrived at his home, Castro refused to come outside, leading to a standoff in which police used bullhorns and flash grenades in an attempt to force Castro to exit his home, according to Yak Tri News.
At about 10.45pm, a SWAT team arrived, complete with negotiator, to assist police efforts to roust Castro out of his home. The standoff lasted several hours.
At 3am, the SWAT team finally entered Castro’s home, where they found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Castro was taken to Seattle, Washington’s Harborview Medical Center, where he was treated for a life-threatening injury and is reported to be in critical condition.
Shawna and Bretches were taken to a local Yakima hospital for surgery for their multiple gunshot wounds. They are both expected to make a full recovery.
Investigators found a gun in Castro’s home. Castro does not have a history of court charges, save for minor fishing violations, and is said to have kept to himself.