Custer man in custody after reporting fatally shooting man in his driveway
Whatcom County law enforcement has arrested a Custer man on suspicion of first-degree murder.
The suspect, 61, told detectives with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office that he had killed a man at a residence Aug. 6 in the 3000 block of West 75th Street in Custer, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The suspect told authorities the man he shot had approached him at a local shopping center and offered to drive the suspect home and assist with cleaning out a garage, according to the news release.
The suspect said he disliked the man, and avoided further interaction, traveling back to the residence on West 75th Street through back roads.
After returning home, the suspect saw the man in a vehicle on the driveway, according to the release.
The suspect said he grabbed a handgun and allegedly shot the man multiple times without saying anything to him.
The next day, Aug. 7, the suspect traveled to the sheriff’s office in Bellingham and reported the shooting. Detectives went to the residence and found the deceased man, according to the release.
The suspect was booked into Whatcom County Jail. He had yet to be formally charged as of Friday afternoon.
Whatcom County Medical Examiner Dr. Aldo Fusaro confirmed Friday evening the deceased man is Vaughn S. Hagen, 70. Fusaro told The Herald the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide.
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 12:46 PM.
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