Whatcom County man who shot at sleeping dad acquitted by reason of insanity
A Whatcom County man who shot at his sleeping father in early 2021 because TV news “told him to do it” was acquitted of attempted second-degree murder by reason of insanity in Whatcom County Superior Court on Wednesday.
Scott Allen Granger, 57, was committed indefinitely to Western State Hospital for treatment shortly after entering his guilty plea.
According to court records, Granger was living with his father near Sedro-Woolley on Jan. 6, 2021 when he woke his father up by shouting at the TV in the living room. Granger entered his father’s bedroom and fired a shotgun round at him, but missed, and his father was able to leave the home and call 911.
Granger’s father told first responders that his son had “gone off the deep end,” according to court records. He said his son’s mental health had been getting “increasingly worse,” possibly because of religious TV shows he was watching.
A jail nurse who conducted a competency evaluation in January 2021 reported that Granger described hallucinations related to politics, technology and religion that gave him “missions” and “commands.” He continued to share delusional beliefs in custody, and the nurse said Granger met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and a likely developmental disability.
History of abuse, mental illness
Granger said that his father physically, emotionally and verbally abused him throughout his life, according to court records. He said that his father stabbed his two pet fish to death about one month before the incident, and that both of his puppies died in the following weeks. Granger said he suspected his father had killed the dogs as well.
Granger said news anchors had been telling him to kill his father for about a week leading up to the incident, and that he believed the FBI was somehow involved. He also believed his father was practicing witchcraft and injecting him with drugs in his sleep.
According to court records, Granger was carrying the gun around with him the night of the shooting because he was scared of a dragon he hallucinated outside the window. Hurting his dad was “the farthest thing from (his) head” before the news anchor told him to do so, he said.
“There wasn’t time to think about nothing,” Granger said. “I don’t know why I did it.”
Proceedings since Granger’s arrest
After his arrest, Granger was determined to lack the capacity to assist in his defense and committed to Western State Hospital for competency restoration treatment. Multiple competency evaluations and restoration hearings were held in the following years, according to court records, and he was readmitted to Western State Hospital for further treatment until he was discharged to the custody of Whatcom County Jail in August 2023.
The most recent evaluation, submitted to the court March 31, found that Granger was able to “perceive the nature and quality of his actions” when he shot at his father.
However, the evaluator also noted that due to Granger’s psychotic symptoms at the time, he could not tell right from wrong at the time of the attempted shooting. They said Granger posed a moderate risk to the community if released from custody and recommended that he be admitted to a “structured treatment setting” like Western State Hospital.
The state argued Wednesday that Granger would pose a “substantial risk” to the community if released. Judge Jennifer Slattery agreed.
Granger was ordered to have no contact with his father, and he can no longer possess a firearm. It’s possible he will be committed to Western State Hospital for the remainder of his life.
“I hope that you’re able to have some peace in your commitment,” Slattery said.
Resources
▪ Washington State Crisis Line/National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or text HOME to 741741 for a crisis counselor
▪ NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Whatcom: www.namiwhatcom.org/crisis-resources.html
▪ Whatcom County Triage Center Crisis Line: 800-584-3578
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM.