Suspect in custody after Whatcom County shooting leads to death of Ferndale man
A suspect is in custody after a Ferndale man was fatally shot early Friday morning.
Megan Juenemann, a spokesperson for the city of Ferndale, said Ferndale Police Department officers were called to the 2300 block of Ferndale Terrace for reports of a shooting. The victim, whose age and place of residence have not been released, was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, where he later died.
The suspect fled the scene before police arrived, but a man matching the suspect’s description was observed on Sucia Drive in Sandy Point at 8:52 a.m., according to Juenemann. Officers with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Lummi Nation Police Department, Bellingham Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and U.S. Border Patrol responded to the area.
Officers located Michael Steven Daniels Jr., 48, and confirmed he was the suspect. He was initially taken into custody on charges of second-degree murder, fourth-degree assault and second-degree burglary.
The charges were later upgraded to first-degree murder, second-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, violation of a domestic violence protection order and failure to appear in court for fourth-degree assault. He is being held in lieu of $2.75 million bail.
Juenemann said the investigation remains active, and no further information will be released at this time.
Neighbors recount shooting
Multiple neighbors at the apartment complex where the shooting occurred said Daniels went to the apartment of his ex-wife and shot her boyfriend.
One neighbor told The Herald that he woke up at around 3:30 a.m. to the sound of loud arguing in an adjacent apartment. Then he heard five “loud pops” and then a “blood-curdling scream.” He said he heard another neighbor calling 911 to report a shooting and soon saw about six police cars and an ambulance arrive.
He recalled the woman telling him that her ex-husband was abusive when she first moved in, and that he overheard from police that he was outside the apartment in night-vision goggles stalking the apartment.
The neighbor said he’s lived in Ferndale for most of his life and thought he knew the area pretty well.
“I don’t really feel safe living here anymore,” he said.
Editor’s note (4:25 p.m. May 8): This article was updated to include the shooting suspect’s name and comments from a neighbor.
This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 11:23 AM.