Bellingham man arrested for shooting at woman, kids

A Bellingham man convicted of attempted murder in Seattle in the late 1990s was arrested Friday night after making threats to kill and firing a gun at his girlfriend and her children, according to a press release from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

Leonard L. Briscoeray, 44, was arrested Friday on suspicion of five counts of felony harassment (domestic violence), reckless endangerment (domestic violence), first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and altering identifying marks of a firearm.

Briscoeray also was arrested on outstanding warrants out of King County for attempted second-degree murder and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence).

Briscoeray was temporarily released Monday into the care of family in the Seattle area due to a medical crisis he was having that the Whatcom County Jail couldn’t handle, according to Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney Evan Jones. Briscoeray is scheduled for a first appearance and arraignment on Oct. 26.

At about 8:15 p.m. Friday, Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 2000 block of Seaview Circle in Bellingham for a report of a domestic disturbance in which shots had been fired, according to the press release.

The woman told investigators Briscoeray had threatened to shoot her in the head, as well as shoot her four children, the release states.

One of the children said Briscoeray and the woman had been arguing and Briscoeray fired a handgun into a wall. Three of the children escaped out a bedroom window and the woman and her son escaped out the front door, according to the release.

Briscoeray surrendered without incident, and no one was injured.

During a search warrant served in the house, investigators found a loaded .38 caliber handgun. The serial number, make and model on the gun had been filed off, the release states.

Due to Briscoeray’s previous convictions, he’s prohibited from possessing firearms.

In April 1997, Briscoeray was sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison for attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault and fourth-degree assault for putting a gun loaded with one bullet to his then-girlfriend’s head and pulling the trigger. The gun jammed, and he assaulted her, according to court records.

The Court of Appeals upheld Briscoeray’s conviction in 1999. In 2011, Briscoeray was ordered to serve 14 days in jail for not complying with the terms of his probation, according to officials with King County Superior Court.

This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 5:00 AM.