VANCOUVER, Wash. — An "armed and dangerous" suspect is at large after a man was shot in Vancouver early Monday morning, the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) reported.
CCSO identified the suspect Monday night as 40-year-old Kenneth M Debruyn of Vancouver. Debruyn is wanted for first-degree attempted murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He also has a felony warrant in Clackamas County.
"Debruyn should still be considered armed and dangerous," CCSO said in a news release Monday night.
Debruyn and the victim knew each other, CCSO said in a news release. "It appears this was not a random act and the altercation may have stemmed from an argument involving a girlfriend," the sheriff's office said.
The shooting victim is expected to survive, CCSO reported. The sheriff's office said it's not releasing his name at this time because of the nature of the incident.
The shooting happened around 1:37 a.m. Monday at Del Terrace Apartments on Northeast Hazel Dell Avenue in Vancouver. Multiple people called 911 to report that they heard a gunshot and screams. When deputies arrived, they found the victim in the parking lot. He'd been shot in the torso once, CCSO said. He was taken to the hospital.
Witnesses told deputies Debruyn fled the scene in a vehicle. A Vancouver police officer spotted the suspect vehicle in Vancouver's North Image neighborhood around 2:20 a.m. Debruyn tried to flee from the officer but crashed after a few blocks and then ran away on foot, CCSO said.
Law enforcement recovered the suspect vehicle at the intersection of Northeast 49th Street and Northeast 137th Avenue in Vancouver.
On Monday morning, detectives and the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team searched a house near where Debruyn's vehicle was recovered. CCSO said they believed the house was "associated with the suspect," but didn't find him there.
After the search of the house, SWAT was ordered to stand down and detectives started to follow up on several leads. There was no shelter-in-place order and nothing was placed on lockdown Monday.
The CCSO Major Crimes Team is leading the investigation and asking anyone with information to email Detective Telecsan at Dean.Telecsan@clark.wa.gov.
