PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — We are only about four months into 2022, and Pierce County is already closing in on the total number of shootings along highways they had all of last year.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Robert Reyer said there is an increased risk of these types of highway shootings as more people are heading back to work, school and out in society during the pandemic.
Reyer said there have been 23 highway shootings in Pierce County since the beginning of the year. It is a disturbing trend considering there were 31 shootings on Pierce County highways in 2021.
According to Reyer, a lot of the shootings occurred after a driver cuts someone off or makes a certain facial expression or hand motion. He said the best thing to do is try to ignore those actions and to be kind.
“Do your best and ignore it. I know it’s hard, and we want to take justice into our own hands," said Reyer. "We want to honk our horn at them. We want to use some universally understandable hand gestures or facial expressions to express our frustration, but that is often what causes those bad situations from happening.”
Reyer said, luckily, none of the highway shootings in Pierce County this year have caused any deaths, just property damage.
"It seems like a lot of [drivers] have forgotten how to be courteous and polite around others,” said Reyer. “That reflects on driving. When you're around other cars, you also have to be professional and courteous, friendly and polite."
Reyer said there are 62 WSP troopers in Pierce County monitoring the roads and highways.