Seattle man suspected of shooting and killing his brother in eastern Whatcom County
A Seattle man was arrested in Whatcom County after he reportedly shot and killed his brother early Monday in North Cascades National Park.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked John Roper Thomson, 40, into Whatcom County Jail at 1:39 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8, on suspicion of first-degree murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Thomson is suspected of shooting his brother, 69-year-old Robert Thomson, multiple times with the intent to kill him, according to a sheriff’s office release.
At approximately 4 a.m. Monday, North Cascades National Park rangers responded to an area along State Route 20 at milepost 128, east of Newhalem and near the western end of Diablo Lake, for the report of a single shot followed by a rapid succession of more shots, according to the release.
The rangers arrived at approximately 4:45 a.m. and found John Thomson sitting in a vehicle in the area, according to the release.
John Thomson told the rangers that he did not hear any shots, prompting the rangers to continue to check further along State Route 20, the release states.
While returning to Newhalem, the rangers noticed a large amount of blood along the guardrail where they had spoken to John Thomson, according to the release. In addition, they found bullet holes in the guardrail.
The rangers looked down the embankment beyond the guardrail and found Robert Thomson’s body, the release states.
John Thomson was later located in Newhalem and arrested by the rangers, according to the release, adding that rangers spotted an AR-15-style rifle in the the vehicle while looking through the windows.
Sheriff’s office detectives, crime scene investigators and deputies were sent to Newhalem to continue the investigation. They spoke to John Thomson, according to the release, and he confessed to shooting his brother.
Thomson has previous felony convictions, according to the release. King County Superior Court records show he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm in 2013.
This story was originally published August 8, 2022 at 3:21 PM.
