LAKEWOOD, Wash. — A shooting on southbound I-5 near Lakewood started inside a vehicle, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Trooper Ryan Burke reports a male passenger shot the female driver.
The victim exited the vehicle and began walking on the inside shoulder of the freeway. She was met by witnesses who assisted her, according to Burke.
The shooter, who had also exited the vehicle with a gun in his hand was confronted by state patrol.
"The shooter pointed the gun toward the sergeant and then pointed it towards himself," Burke tweeted. "The sergeant observed the gun to be jammed. The sergeant advanced on the shooter, grabbed the gun and was able to throw the gun down. The two ended up on the ground with the suspect in custody."
According to Burke, the shooter told a sergeant with the state patrol he didn't want to go back to jail prior to being taken into custody.
Both the male and female had a single gunshot wound. They were taken to the hospital for surgery.
Traffic was heavily impacted in the southbound lanes of I-5 during rush hour. Drivers were encouraged to take alternate routes.
The Washington Department of Transportation reports, "Police Activity is causing traffic backups and delays on I-5 SB at MP 126 near Bridgeport Way SW beginning at 3:46 pm on March 10, 2021 until further notice. The three left lanes blocked."
The original version of this article erroneously reported the shooting occurred in the northbound lanes.