An errant shot, likely coming from a hunter’s firearm, pierced the wall of an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on Point Robinson Road on Sunday, Oct. 29, splintering a bookcase but not injuring or killing anyone, thankfully, because the dwelling was unoccupied at the time.

The damage was discovered that evening by an islander who rents a home on the property and regularly uses the ADU.

The islander said that two days later, they found the shotgun slug that had caused the damage — it had ricocheted and landed atop the damaged bookcase.

Both the islander and a nearby neighbor, in interviews, said that they believed the damage was caused by someone who was hunting illegally in the area — a frightening and deeply unsettling scenario, they said.

“It makes me feel way more vulnerable,” said the islander whose ADU had been damaged. “It’s so obvious this is a residential neighborhood.”

Both said they had heard explosive noises coming from the vicinity of Point Robinson Road on the afternoon of Oct. 29 and separately, both reported the incident to King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).

According to Eric White, information officer for KCSO, patrol deputies conducted an area search in the vicinity of the homes on Oct. 29, but found nothing. No case report was created on the search.

Another deputy responded later that day after receiving a call about the bullet hole found in the ADU, White said. The mangled shotgun slug, found days later, was also put into evidence.

According to White, KCSO is asking anyone who has information on the reckless shooting case to call KSCO at 206-296-3311 or leave a tip at Crimestoppers, referencing case number C23037153.

The Beachcomber is not naming the islanders involved in the incident and additionally is using non-gendered pronouns to protect their privacy.

Timeline of a scary day

The islander whose ADU was pierced by the shotgun blast said that on October 29, both they and their spouse had heard two “popping sounds,” followed later by two more similar sounds, between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. During that same time frame, they said, their spouse had observed a large buck in a field near their house.

Another unsettling sight, for the islander, was spotting a KCSO vehicle, joined by a Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) vehicle, moving slowly down Point Robinson Road — with the first responders inside seemingly looking for someone or something.

Later that evening, the islander said, they discovered the damage to their ADU and called 911. The KSCO deputy who answered that call, they said, told them they believed the shot’s trajectory had come from the road.

However, the islander said, that they now believe the deputy was wrong, after reexamining the shot’s entry point into the ADU with their landlord. The shot, they believe, came from their backyard.

Neighbor’s account

A second islander — the neighbor of the islander whose ADU was shot into — said that they had called 911 at 3:51 p.m. after hearing two very loud explosions while working outdoors, cutting blackberry bushes on their property. The explosive sounds, they believed, had come from the road.

The neighbor recounted that following those explosions, they had heard the voice of a man, angrily shouting, “What the hell are you doing?” followed by a response from another man’s voice that they could not decipher. The event was deeply alarming, the islander said, causing them to run to safety, leaving their gardening tools on the ground.

The neighbor, too, later observed the sheriff’s and VIFR vehicles on the road and went outside to greet the first responders.

After that brief conversation, they returned to their property to work in their greenhouse. There, they heard three more shots that seemed to come from the direction of Luana Beach Road.

“I sat in the greenhouse for 30 minutes and then ran back to the house,” the islander said, saying they had become very worried about the safety of their neighbors. “I was really afraid that someone had been shot.”

Hunting season continues

The regular deer hunting season ended on October 31. However, a “second” deer season — for tag holders who have applied to hunt a second deer — is now running through Dec. 31. Archery, muzzleloader, crossbow, or modern firearm equipment can be used to hunt in this season.

There are also three upcoming sets of “late season” for hunting black-tailed deer.

The late modern firearm hunting season will run from Nov. 16 to 19. A late muzzleloading deer season runs from Nov. 22 through Dec. 15, and a late archery season runs from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31.

Per Washington law, it is unlawful to hunt on private property without written permission from the landowner.

In a recent VashonBePrepared newsletter, local hunting instructor James Cottrell urged all islanders to exercise considerable caution during the long hunting season.

“It is advisable for all islanders to wear hunter-orange or hunter-fluorescent pink while out walking, running or riding in areas with obscuring vegetation and limited sight lines until the end of the month,” Cottrell wrote.

In a Beachcomber commentary in 2020, viewable here, Cottrell also acknowledged repeated incidents of illegal hunting on Vashon — and the dangers and fear posed by hunters who do not follow the rules.

He urged hunters to use the mobile phone app, OnX Hunt, which combines satellite imagery with the display of property lines and the names of property owners, along with users’ locations in real-time. “With such technology in hand, there is no excuse for anyone hunting where they are not welcome or allowed,” he wrote.

In an email, Carlo Pace, of the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife Police, cited Washington State laws that generally prohibit anyone from discharging any dangerous weapon in such a manner where any person’s safety might be endangered.

“That includes shooting without a backstop or clear view, towards a building, vehicle, public place, park, trail, campsite, etc.,” Pace said. Shooting from the maintained portion of any public road is also unlawful, he said.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the ending date of the late archery season. The season runs from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31, not Dec. 22, as stated in the previous version of the article. We regret the error.