KING COUNTY, Wash. — The man accused of going on an hours-long shooting spree on Interstate 5 that injured six people was deemed not competent to stand trial, a judge ruled this week.
Eric Perkins, 44, will now be placed in Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) custody to have his competency restored. His next court hearing in the case is scheduled for January 2025. Perkins has been in custody on $1 million bail since his arrest.
During a competency evaluation with a psychologist, Perkins' presentation was consistent with delusional disorder and substance induced psychosis, according to a DSHS report obtained by KING 5.
"While based on limited information, I believe aspects of apparent paranoia would likely interfere with his ability to effectively participate in his defense. The most clear aspect was that he would not work with an attorney who believed he had a mental illness, and it was apparent he was frustrated that even the current evaluation was ordered," the DSHS psychologist wrote in the competency report.
As recently as the day before the shootings, court documents show the suspect had been at Tacoma General Hospital “for an evaluation” and that the suspect had recently become homeless.
“The doctors said that I was perfectly sane since nine years old, perfectly sane," Perkins said in court. "Now at 44 years old because of the situation I was put in, and I alerted the police that I was put in a situation, and now they’re trying to say that I have mental problems.”
Video obtained by KING 5 showed the suspect approaching the Fircrest Police Department seeking help. The video was taken just six hours before he was suspected of shooting cars at random.
While in custody, Perkins allegedly said he was trying to get help from police because people were "stealing his identity, making threats and following him," according to the statement of probable cause. He said the threats made him fear for his life, adding "he would take matters of protecting himself into his own hands."
'All I could think about was how close the bullet was to my kids'
The first shooting was reported at 8:26 p.m. on Sept. 2 when the suspect, driving a white Volvo, fired several rounds at a Tesla, striking a female passenger in her torso. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
The driver of the Tesla said the shooter was wearing a ski mask.
The shooting spree continued from there, with the suspect leaving behind at least six crime scenes between 8:26 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The total number of vehicles hit is believed to be at least nine. Six people were injured, including two people with critical injuries, three people with graze wounds and one person who had abrasions and shattered glass in their eye, according to Washington State Patrol.
One victim, who preferred to remain anonymous, said it will be a long time until she feels comfortable going on a freeway again.
"All I could think about was how close the bullet was to my kids," she said. "I think the worst part is my 7-year-old seeing all of that. It just isn’t fair.”
Her 3-year-old was also in the car. Her father-in-law was driving and her husband was in the front passenger seat.
The family had just returned from a trip to San Diego for Labor Day weekend and was driving home from the airport on I-5 South around 11 p.m. when the unthinkable happened.
"I thought like, 'This is it. They’re both going to die,'" she said. "The bullet got my husband and father-in-law in their legs... One bullet traveled through and hit both of them.”
She made sure to mention that she does not feel that this was an act of road rage.
"It was definitely unprovoked. We were just driving," she said.
She said she noticed a white car driving erratically. She said it then pulled up beside them, while in motion.
"I was expecting to see someone on their phone distracted driving, and instead, I saw someone leaning out of their car looking at us with a gun," she said.
KING 5's Adel Toay and Kipp Robertson contributed to this report.
