VANCOUVER, Wash. — A Vancouver man was arrested after firing multiple shots at two churches and two cars early Tuesday morning, according to the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO). No injuries were reported.
The suspect, 23-year-old Aleksey Suturin, was wearing body armor underneath a jacket with several 9 mm pistol magazines, CCSO said. Suturin was booked into Clark County Jail on two counts of drive-by shooting, two counts of first-degree malicious mischief, one count of second-degree malicious mischief, one count of attempt to elude, and two counts of reckless driving.
CCSO deputies responded to a report of shots being fired around 1:41 a.m. in the area of Northeast Saint Johns Road and Northeast LaLonde Drive. The caller, after checking their home surveillance footage, said they could see headlights enter the parking lot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church before shots were fired.
Deputies found the front of the church building was damaged from bullets and located multiple bullet casings in the parking lot.
Almost 15 minutes later, at 1:57 a.m., several callers reported shots in the area of Northwest 99th Street and Northwest 9th Avenue. When deputies arrived, they found the windows of Kessid Columbia Church damaged, as well as casings on the ground and near a Kia SUV parked in the church parking lot. The car had been struck by bullets at least three times; no one was in the vehicle, CCSO said.
Shortly after, at 2:03 a.m., deputies at the Seventh Day Adventist Church heard multiple gunshots nearby. A deputy saw a blue Toyota Highlander with its lights "blacked out" heading west on Northeast 99th Street, then followed the vehicle. The vehicle then sped north on Northeast Highway 99, still with no lights on.
Deputies were able to get license plate information, finding out that the Toyota Highlander was registered to a Felida address.
Deputies found no sign of the Toyota Highlander when they checked on the residence, CCSO said. When they called the vehicle's registered owner, the owner said he was out of town, though his adult son and wife should be at home. The wife told deputies that her adult son was not there and that she didn't know when he left the residence. Deputies also located an empty SIG SAUER pistol case at the residence, CCSO said.
At 3:29 a.m., deputies in the same area as the Kessid Columbia Church heard a gunshot in the direction of Columbia River High School, then found a vehicle with a bullet hole in the windshield.
Deputies that were near the vehicle owner's residence saw the "blacked out" Toyota Highlander driving slowly into the neighborhood, after which it took off. While searching the area, deputies caught sight of the vehicle again, which sped and turned south onto Interstate 5, CCSO said.
Deputies were able to "spike" the vehicle's tires. CCSO said the suspect, Aleksey Suturin, exited the vehicle and ran south on Interstate 5. He was eventually arrested "without incident," CCSO said.
Detectives are still investigating, according to CCSO.